British Columbians ages 18 to 30 most affected by pandemic, need support: BCCDC report
British Columbia’s young adults are most likely to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to layoffs, restrictions and lost job opportunities, according to a detailed new report from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
The agency released “Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults in British Columbia” on Friday, outlining the challenges faced by those ages 18 to 30, as well as recommendations for supports.
“Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the measures stemming from efforts to control it, have had significant and deleterious impacts on many areas of young adults’ lives,” noted the authors. “Those who may be subject to additional pressures include racialized groups, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, and young adults with disabilities.”
The report was commissioned by one of the province’s top health officials.
"Unlike COVID-19, which can be measured on a dashboard – we report on it every day – these can go hidden and it is our responsibility in a pandemic response to look more deeply and make sure every consequence of what we do is measured,” said deputy provincial health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson. "This is a really important stage in life where you establish your family or meet that person. This is when you become an individual. This is when you establish many of your educational and employment trajectories."
She said young adults were also more likely to lose their jobs and have their post-secondary education – and therefore future career prospects – disrupted, along with financial strain and concern for the future.
The conclusions include findings from national and international studies, but rely heavily on two “COVID-19 Speak Surveys” done by B.C. health officials, which asked people to describe how the pandemic has impacted their lives. The report is an in-depth look at the social impacts of the pandemic, separate and distinct from analysis of who was most vulnerable to death or severe illness from the virus.
CONTRAST TO PREMIER’S ‘DON’T BLOW IT’ COMMENTS
Premier John Horgan enraged young adults in the spring when he urged them not to “blow it for the rest of us” by acting selfishly and being the top demographic for COVID-19 infections.
The study’s authors point out that, while their infection rate is double the provincial average, adults aged 18 to 30 were also more likely to work frontline jobs that can’t be done from home, are more likely to live in close quarters with roommates, and reported the highest rates of mental health concerns.
“Many of the activities we restricted actually were essential for the lives of young adults,” said Gustafson. “Some of the things highlighted in our report affect every young adult and I think that's really important."
When CTV News noted that much of the criticism of young adults came from adults with established careers – often living in homes with yards – who were able to weather the restrictions and self-isolate with less impact on their lives, Gustafson agreed. She said that’s why governments, employers and institutions of all kinds need to realize how much of their relatively young lives were put on hold and offer financial, educational and mental health supports.
"Alcohol and cannabis consumption have increased, there's been significant social isolation, very significant disruption in isolation and employment," she said, adding that there was plenty of struggle and suffering to go around, especially for parents of young children.
“There was significant stress, especially during school closures and loss of daycare during that first wave of the pandemic,” she added. “We tried to mitigate that as much as possible.”
Gustafson added that few older teens and 20-somethings are at the decision-making table, so she felt it was important to raise issues affecting them and call for a special focus on those issues, including employment, training opportunities, debt loads, educational impacts, mental health and emotional disruptions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.