KIDS AREN'T ALL RIGHT
Pandemic taking heavy toll on B.C.'S young adults
Young adults are suffering the economic and health impacts of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic more than British Columbians in other age groups, according to the largest public health survey ever conducted in Canada.
Though they are least likely to suffer serious effects from the virus itself, people between 18 and 29 years of age are twice as likely to be out of work (27 per cent) and to report worsening mental health (54 per cent).
Families with children were also more likely to report a higher mental health burden, reduced sleep and increased alcohol consumption.
“(COVID-19) is largely a mild illness in young people, but the parts of the economy that have felt the impact most, the service industry, the arts industry, are affecting young adults more than most,” said the deputy provincial health officer, Dr. Reka Gustafson.
“People aged 18 to 29 reported declining mental health, difficulty making ends meet and declining social connection,” she said. “This is a critical time in people's lives ... so we have to make sure we are looking after our young people.”
The data collected has already been used to fine-tune the provincial government's response to the pandemic and shared with post-secondary institutions.
A report on the impact of school closures on children and families based on the data was “foundational” to informing the decision to bring kids back to school in September, she said.
Keeping schools open is “critical to the mental health of children, youth and their families,” said Gustafson, who is also vice-president, public health and wellness for the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
“You want to get at these issues at the prevention stage.”
During the school closure, respondents reported impacts on children such as impaired learning (76 per cent), increased stress (59 per cent), and worsening mental health (51 per cent).
The B.C. COVID-19 SPEAK Survey collected detailed information from nearly 400,000 people — almost one in 10 British Columbians — in every corner of the province and has made it available to the public through an online dashboard.
“B.c.-based data is what we need to inform, guide and strengthen B.C.'S pandemic response as we navigate the second wave of the virus and the B.C. COVID-19 SPEAK results are already doing that,” said Kristy Kerr, executive director of the BCCDC Foundation for Public Health, the organization that funded the dashboard.
The unprecedented size of the survey allows for detailed comparisons among health regions, age groups, towns, cities and even individual neighbourhoods.
Responses were collected to dozens of questions in categories such as response and prevention, experience of the pandemic, economic impact, social impact, health care, risk and preventive factors, and resilience.
Many of the regional disparities are stark.
Only 39 per cent of respondents in the Northern Health region reported being able to work remotely, compared to 65 per cent having that option in the Vancouver Coastal health region.
“In public health, we have a responsibility to monitor the effects and unintended consequences of the pandemic on the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities,” said Gustafson.