By: Thomas I. Likness
Eagle News Service

(Eagle News) — As the world prepares to enter a third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey reveals one in three Canadians having problems with their mental health.

The study from the Angus Reid Institute paints a picture of a population that is largely fatigued, frustrated and anxious.

And the situation appears to be getting worse.

The 36% who report difficulties with their mental health is up from the one-quarter who said they felt that way back in November.

Of those experiencing problems, seven percent say they are barely getting by when it comes to their mental health — more than double the number measured at any point since October 2020.

It appears at least some are reaching out for professional help.

The survey says 31% of those asked say they or someone in their household has an appointment with a therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist in the last year.

Another 30% says they’ve received a prescription to deal with a mental health issue in the past 12 months.

More disturbing is the problem of substance abuse.

Nearly half of Canadians say alcohol abuse is a problem among people in their social circles. Three in 10 say the same thing about drug abuse.

The online survey was conducted from Jan. 18-20, 2022 among a representative randomized sample of 1,509 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
(Eagle News Service)