COVID-19 fatigue: One third of Canadians struggling with mental health, poll suggests
One in three Canadians are struggling with their mental health as the COVID-19 pandemic enters into its third year, according to a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute.
Researchers said that the picture of mental health in Canada is "one of exhaustion and increasing trauma" as more people reported feeling fatigued, frustrated and anxious since Omicron became the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the country.
Thirty-six per cent of Canadians reported that they have been grappling with mental health issues, up sharply from the one-quarter who said so in November, the Institute said.
When asked to summarize how they've been feeling in recent weeks, nearly half (48 per cent) of Canadians polled said that they've been feeling "fatigued."
Only one in 10 survey respondents chose "happy" and 23 per cent chose "depressed," the Institute added.
The data suggests that about three in 10 Canadians say they speak regularly about their mental health with friends and family.
But those conversations became more scarce among men aged 55 and older.
"Just 11 per cent in that demographic group say they talk to their friends about how they're feeling, while one-quarter (23 per cent) talk to family," the study reads.
However, researchers found that women between the ages of 18 and 54 were much more likely to have this type of discourse.
The study also suggests 66 per cent of those who have been struggling with depression and anxiety – or know someone who is – say that it has worsened during the pandemic.
These same trends are noted for those who perceive people in their social circle dealing with addictions and alcoholism, the Institute said.
The poll was conducted using a representative randomized sample of 1,509 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum, and carries a possible margin of error or plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'