COVID affects mental health of those most vulnerable

Surpassing year one of the COVID-19 pandemic, its effects on social and economic life have taken their toll on the mental health of many Canadians. But certain groups, left vulnerable due to larger structural failures, have felt the impact more than others. This is especially true for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions.

People with disabilities and chronic health conditions are more at risk of getting COVID-19, experiencing complications and dying from the virus. They have been especially negatively affected by the economic downturn and have been largely excluded from government economic supports.

Last June, our research team conducted a national survey of 1,027 Canadians with disabilities and chronic health conditions to find out about changes in anxiety, stress and despair and what specific pandemic-related factors are contributing to these. Our findings were recently published in the Disability and Health Journal.

We found that over one third of respondents reported increased levels of anxiety and stress, with about one fifth reporting growing levels of despair. This varied across respondents, though. Respondents reporting more severe disabilities and health issues were more likely to feel anxious, stressed and have feelings of despair.

Individuals worried about getting COVID-19 and those economically impacted by the pandemic were also more likely to report deteriorating mental health as well as those reporting feeling lonely and lacking a sense of belonging.

The pandemic continues to illustrate how disruptions to our ways of life negatively impact our mental health, but it also reveals how pre-existing health and socio-economic barriers experienced disproportionately by some Canadians make declining mental health even greater. Our results reflect a period when lockdowns were easing and the promise of a “return to normal” kept people feeling more hopeful.

In the coming months, as access to vaccination increases, distancing restrictions ease, winter weather subsides and many Canadians start to socialize, people with disabilities and chronic health conditions will again be left behind. Even as other groups are able to do more, people with disabilities and chronic health conditions, who must still isolate and operate with heightened caution, will likely continue to experience mental health issues.

Our findings clearly allude to the importance of supporting public health investments especially in mental health, as well as the need to ensure that government policy responses to the pandemic are inclusive of the voices of individuals most negatively impacted by this health crisis.

David Pettinicchio is an associate professor at the University of Toronto.

Michelle Maroto is an associate professor in sociology at the University of Alberta.