Mental health concerns ‘very real’ during pandemic
There’s no swab test for the illnesses in the looming echo pandemic, but they pose a threat just as urgent as COVID -19.
Mandatory isolation orders, though imperative, have fractured tangible human connection for months. The front line is burnt out, businesses are collapsing and parents are justifiably exhausted. The coronavirus has made life difficult even for those with an otherwise stable neurological makeup. In some cases, for those who were already struggling with their mental health, things have worsened.
Karen Letofsky, associate director of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, says there are serious gaps in Canadian mental health care that need addressing.
“We know that mental health concerns are very real,” Letofsky told me during a phone interview. “We still have unequal access (to mental health care) across the country. There are gaps in service, especially for rural and remote communities. Certain types of mental health supports have been historically underfunded. The mental health system is hard to navigate in many places.”
The suicide rate in Canada is disturbingly high, with about 4,000 preventable deaths each year. It’s the second leading cause of death in youth and young adults.
A new report out of the University of Toronto drawing on evidence from past global health crises and major economic downturns, points to an immediate urgency for “prioritizing access to mental
health care and the provision of psychological first aid” to prevent a possible spike in suicides if the economy doesn’t rebound fast enough.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is also warning that a surge in demand for mental health support is inevitable, yet existing systems are hardly equipped to handle a spike in service requests.
Helen Fishburn, executive director of CMHA Waterloo Wellington, is concerned, noting a rise in what’s being called “acute quarantine fatigue” in otherwise healthy people, characterized by abnormal and dangerous behaviour such as stunt driving and oppositional defiance. Fishburn also notes that the regions she oversees at the CMHA — Cambridge, Waterloo, Kitchener, Guelph, Fergus and Mount Forest — have also seen a pronounced spike in death by overdose since the pandemic began.
“One of the most important things to do when you have anxiety and depression is to have a very strong social connection and social network. And that’s been the one thing that’s disappeared,” Fishburn says. “Zoom, texting and phone calls are not the same as physical contact.”
Jenica Atwin says it was her drive to repair Canada’s mental health-care system that first brought her to federal politics. Her stepbrother has schizophrenia, she herself battled postpartum anxiety, and as a teacher she met a number of students in crisis. Atwin, who is the first woman to represent Fredericton, N.B., in the House of Commons, argues there were “massive” gaps in mental health services, particularly those serving Indigenous youth, long before COVID-19.
“Our system needs to be far more responsive,” Atwin told me.
Poll results released from the Canadian Mental Health Association in Ontario found seven out of 10 Ontarians believe the province is headed for a “serious mental health crisis” as it emerges from this pandemic. And nearly eight out of 10 say more mental health supports are needed now.
“You know, trauma doesn’t go away just because we’re experiencing a pandemic. We need to address this with the same urgency that we’ve had with COVID-19,” Atwin says. “I want to see Dr. Tam standing up in front of Canadians saying ‘here are the things we have to do to look after our mental wellness.’ ”
The new helplines that have been instituted since the pandemic began are a good start, but to change a system that’s faced chronic underfunding for years will take long-term investment and sustained political will.
Letofsky says better standards of care, recognized at the national level are needed; coupled with richer community-based mental health systems and much more comprehensive access.
“I’m gratified that there’s recognition of how important mental health is, but my worry is that a lot of the funding that’s been given is emergency funding. Will this translate into more sustainable funding to support programs over the long haul?”
On a personal note, I’ve battled depression and anxiety my entire life — my earliest memories are of paralyzing fear and sadness. I worried about everything from my weight, to my grades, to my clothes, to what everyone around me thought about me. Some of these feelings have followed me into adulthood, but I’ve been fortunate enough to find ways to keep going.
To those of you reading this who might be facing these or similar mental health challenges for the first time during this pandemic, please don’t be afraid to ask for help. Trust me, you’re not alone and the world is better with you in it.
Jenn Jefferys grew up in Kitchener. She is a freelance journalist living on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Nation (Ottawa). Jenn has served several Indigenous advocacy organizations in a political capacity and is enrolled in the Women and Gender Studies program at Carleton University. She can be reached at jenn.jefferys@gmail.com or on Twitter: @jennjefferys.