Canadians surveyed more worried about mental health heading into 2022 than Americans: poll

With just days to go until 2022 begins, a new poll conducted by Maru Public Opinion has found Canadians surveyed are expressing more significant levels of frustration and concern about their mental health compared to Americans.

Participants were asked on Dec. 20 to choose from among 19 different emotions to reflect their mood at the time of the survey, which was conducted on behalf of CityNews.

Around 49 per cent of the Canadians polled selected frustration, followed by anxious (41 per cent), fortunate (39 per cent), hopeful (35 per cent) and rounding out the top five was grateful (35 per cent).

The selections struck a different tone compared to the Americans polled. Approximately 54 per cent of the American participants said they were feeling grateful, followed by hopeful (53 per cent), fortunate (50 per cent), optimistic (46 per cent) and anxious (36 per cent).

When it came to the participants reflecting on their mental health heading into the new year, around 44 per cent of the Canadians polled said they were concerned versus 38 per cent of the Americans surveyed.

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So what’s fuelling the differences between the groups? The firm said it appears the two major contributing factors are concerns about contracting the COVID-19 Omicron variant and personal views on the economy.

Looking at the Canadians polled, approximately 11 per cent said someone in their immediate family or circle of friends tested positive for COVID-19 since mid-December. In comparison, around 56 per cent expressed concern about contracting the virus. For the Americans surveyed, the figures were 17 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively.

The Americans polled had a better outlook on the broader economy than their Canadian counterparts. Approximately 51 per cent of respondents in the United States said they believe the economy will improve over the next two months, while around 40 per cent of Canadians shared that same view.

Concerning local economies and the belief there will be an improvement in the next 60 days, both groups reported higher numbers: The Canadians moved slightly up to around 42 per cent while the Americans moved up to 59 per cent.

The Canadian portion of the poll was conducted using 1,509 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Maru Voice Canada online panellists. It has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The American portion of the poll was conducted using 1,507 randomly selected American adults who are Maru Springboard America online panellists and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.