Mental health and COVID-19: Here’s why the pandemic was harder on struggling Canadians – GLOBAL

August 21, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Canadians across the nation over the past couple of years but those with mental health struggles have been impacted far more, a recent report from Statistics Canada shows.

“Certainly everybody has suffered, but some people have suffered more than others,” Cheryl Forchuk, university professor at Western University and assistant scientific director at Lawson Health Research Institute, told Global News.

The question to ask here is why, says Forchuk.

“Why did people with pre-existing mental health problems fare worse?”

The answer can be found in “social determinants,” like income, work and poverty, according to Forchuk.

People with mental health struggles are “much more vulnerable to these problems,” she said.