More Ontarians accessing mental health support than any point during pandemic: poll

A new survey suggests more people in Ontario are accessing mental health support than at any other time during the pandemic.

The poll from the Canadian Mental Health Association indicates 24 per cent of respondents have sought help for mental health issues, this compares to 17 per cent last winter and nine per cent two years ago.

More than three quarters of respondents believe Ontario is heading for a “serious mental health crisis.”

Camille Quenneville, the association’s CEO, says the survey results are concerning as they indicate the mental health of those living in the province is not improving.

“We’ve conducted four polls during this pandemic because we wanted to get a sense of how people are doing nearly two years in,” said Quenneville. “Needless to say we’re very concerned that the numbers are going in the wrong direction.”

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At the beginning of the pandemic, 83 per cent of Ontarians reported that no one in their household tried to access mental health support, down to 69 per cent in the recent survey.

While more people are seeking help, fewer respondents (65 per cent) are reporting that the support they have accessed has been helpful. More than three quarters of respondents said they found mental health supports helpful at the start of the pandemic.

“This is troubling as it may be an indicator that people’s mental health challenges are more complex than they might’ve thought,” said Quenneville. “Many people might be saying they’re fine but that’s not what we’re seeing in the data.”

Nearly half (48 per cent) of Ontarians say their mental health has worsened since the start of COVID, up from 36 per cent at the onset of the pandemic.

The poll also suggests substance use and the levels of mental health distress among residents in Ontario are similar to what was seen during the start of the pandemic. Roughly a quarter of Ontarians report that they are consuming more substances during the pandemic which is consistent with previous polls.

The poll surveyed 1,001 Ontario adults between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, and carries a margin of error of 3.1 per cent.

The Canadian Mental Health Association had conducted three similar surveys during the pandemic, in April 2020, July 2020 and February 2021.

Findings from the Canadian Mental Health Association survey

Access and effectiveness of mental health supports

• 24 per cent of Ontarians have now sought mental health supports, up from 17 per cent last
  winter, 14 per cent in summer 2020, and nine per cent from spring 2020
• 43 per cent of people are finding it difficult to access mental health supports, up from 37 per
  cent at the start of the pandemic
• A third (29 per cent) of Ontarians who’ve accessed mental health supports say they were
  “not helpful,” compared to 19 per cent at the start of the pandemic
• At the start of the pandemic, 83 per cent of Ontarians reported that no one in their
  household tried to access support. It’s now 69 per cent

Rates of mental health issues

• Nearly half (48 per cent) of Ontarians say their mental health has worsened since the
  outbreak began, up from 36 per cent at the start of the pandemic
• 43 per cent of people feel their mental health is “excellent” or “very good” compared to 35
  per cent last winter, 48 per cent in summer 2020 and 52 per cent from spring 2020
• Worry among the overall population about the pandemic’s impact has declined to 71 per
  cent from 79 per cent at the start of COVID-19
• 32 per cent of Ontarians are reporting high levels of stress and 31 per cent high levels of
  anxiety, the same as the start of the pandemic
• 15 per cent say they are “almost always” or “very often” depressed, up slightly from 13 per
  cent at the start of the COVID-19

Parents and children

• More than 60 per cent of parents say dealing with the pandemic has been difficult for their
  children
• 65 per cent of parents say their children have difficulty dealing with an uncertain future, up
  from 57 per cent a year ago
• 67 per cent of parents believe not going to school has been difficult, up from 60 per cent last
  year
• Nearly 80 per cent of parents believe not being able to do regular activities outside of home
  and not seeing friends has been difficult for children

Alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, gambling

• A quarter of Ontarians report that they are consuming more substances, roughly the same
  as last year
• 14 per cent of people are consuming less than before the outbreak
• Among those who are consuming more, 77 per cent are choosing alcohol; 38 per cent are
  using more cannabis; and 27 per cent more tobacco
• Of the quarter of Ontarians who gamble, 35 per cent are gambling more than before the
  pandemic and 33 per cent are gambling less