Last year was another one for the books. The optimism brought by the vaccine rollout and the expectation of transitioning to normalcy was met with new variants of concern, disease progression, and record levels of mental health illness and burnout.
 
Did you know that mental illness is a leading cause of disability in Canada and that by the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have—or have had—a mental illness?

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada was already in the midst of a mental health crisis before COVID-19. Now, data from Angus Reid Institute shows that mental health has become even more precarious: half of Canadians reported a worsening of their mental health, with one in ten saying it has worsened a lot.

Some groups have been more vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic than others. A CAMH study found that women, people who lost their jobs, those who are worried about their finances, people with children at home, and young people were more likely than others to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression during this unprecedented times. Other groups include people with disabilities, people with dementia, immigrants and refugees, workers in low-wage or precarious employment, and people who reside in crowded or communal housing, such as shelters.
 
Similarly, data from Statistics Canada indicates that:

• Youth have experienced the greatest declines in mental health since the pandemic began.
• Those already experiencing poor mental health before COVID-19 were impacted even more by the pandemic – including those from the LGBTQ community.
• Visible minority groups were more likely than Whites to report poor mental health (27.8% vs. 22.9%) and symptoms consistent with "moderate" or "severe" generalized anxiety disorder (30.0% vs. 24.2%).
• Those reporting poor mental are up to 4 times more likely to report increased substance use since the pandemic began.
• Recent immigrants were more likely to report symptoms consistent with moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) more often (30%) than established immigrant (21%) or Canadian-born participants (26%)

Social isolation, loneliness, stress, increased risk or exposure to abuse and systemic racism, school closures, and online learning exacerbated the emotional difficulties experienced among young people and newcomers while adapting to their new life. These changes posed greater harm to their overall mental health, explains the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

As CAMH puts it, the pandemic has both magnified and added to this crisis and highlighted how crucial mental health promotion and care are to our overall well-being. 

The Orientation to Ontario (O2O) and International Student Connect (ISC) Team is committed to raising awareness about the pressing needs of international students and newcomers in Ontario, and provide them with the supports they need to thrive and successfully settle in their new community.

With this purpose in mind, we have developed new resources that explore various mental health topics and provide expert comments and recommendations. We hope that you and your clients find them useful as we continue to navigate the new normal.

Sincerely,
The O2O and ISC Team