Despair and suicidal feelings deepen as pandemic wears on

New nationwide survey finds Albertans’ mental health eroding

[Edmonton, Alberta] (December 3, 2020) – The second wave of the pandemic has intensified feelings of stress and anxiety, causing alarming levels of despair, suicidal thoughts and hopelessness in the Albertan population. This, according to the newest wave of data collected through a nationwide monitoring survey on the mental health impacts of COVID-19, released today by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in partnership with UBC researchers.

Most people in Alberta (66%) indicate they’re worried about the second wave of the virus, with 54% worried about a loved one or family member dying, and only 17% feeling hopeful. As winter approaches, 40% of Albertans say their mental health has deteriorated since March. 48% of Albertans are worried about finances.

“Cold weather, uncertainty, eroded social networks and restrictions on holiday gatherings are hitting at a time when people are already anxious, hopeless and fearful that things are going to get worse,” says CMHA’s National CEO, Margaret Eaton. “I am afraid that many people are in such despair that they can’t see past it.”

Of great concern is the sharp increase in suicidality this fall, with 1 in 10 Canadians (10%) experiencing recent thoughts or feelings of suicide. up from six per cent in the spring and 2.5 per cent throughout pre-pandemic 2016.

“We are seeing a direct relationship between social stressors and declining mental health,” says lead researcher Emily Jenkins, a professor of nursing at UBC who studies mental health and substance use. “As the pandemic wears on and cases and related restrictions rise, a good proportion of our population is suffering. Particularly concerning are the levels of suicidal thinking and self-harm, which have increased exponentially since before the pandemic and are further magnified in certain sub-groups of the population who were already experiencing stigma, exclusion, racism and discrimination.”

Unfortunately, few Albertans are getting mental health services and supports they need, while many are relying on a combination of healthy and unhealthy strategies to cope.

17% of Albertans have indicated that they have increased their use of substances as a way to cope. Nearly 1 in 5 Albertans (18%) have increased alcohol use, while many have also increased their use of other substances, including cannabis (8%) and prescription medication (7%).

The pandemic keeps underlining that mental health is not an individual responsibility, and that policy-level interventions are required. Even before the pandemic, the mental health care system in Canada was not meeting people’s needs due to long waitlists, access issues, inequity and underfunding.

“Individuals experiencing mental health challenges in Canada find themselves attempting to get help with their concerns in a matrix of intersecting supports, interventions, clinical and community based support which can at times be confusing and even contrary,” says CMHA, Alberta Division Executive Director David Grauwiler. “Most mental health interventions are not covered by Canada’s health care system. All Canadians should be able to access affordable, appropriate and timely supports to mental health as well as therapies and treatments for mental illness.”

The survey was dispatched by Maru/Matchbox from September 14-21, 2020 to a representative sample of 3,027 people ages 18 and up living in Canada. The Alberta sample was 397.

It is the second of three strategic waves of national surveying that is also aligned with work being conducted by the Mental Health Foundation in the U.K.

To access a complete summary of the findings, please click here.

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For more information, contact:

Kolbi Kukurba  |  Project & Public Relations Manager
Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Division
Phone: (780) 915-6845
[email protected]

Lou Bosshart  |  Media Relations Specialist
UBC Media Relations
Phone: (604) 822-2048
[email protected]