Half of Canadians report worsening mental health amid COVID-19

Half of Canadians have reported that their mental health has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an online survey.

The survey released on Monday by the Angus Reid Institute, conducted between April 15 and April 17, also showed that 10 per cent of respondents reported their mental health worsened "a lot", reports Xinhua news agency When asked about their primary feelings in recent weeks, 44 per cent of respondents said they were "worried", 41 per cent said "anxious", 30 per cent said "bored", and 16 per cent said "depressed".

Only about 11 per cent said they were untroubled and 14 per cent said they felt normal.

The survey placed Canadians into four categories: those who are managing well mentally and financially, those who are mentally struggling, those who are financially struggling, and people who are hardest hit feeling severe effects in both the mentally and financially struggling categories.

At least 20 per cent of Canadians from all regions fell into the hardest hit category.

About one-quarter of people in the hardest hit group said their relationships at home suffered since the outbreak, compared to 6 per cent in the managing well group.

While mental health effects from the pandemic are common among every age group and gender, men aged 55 and over said they were least affected while women between age 18 and 54 were most likely to report mental health impacts.

Isolation has also affected relations between housemates, although for the most part cabin fever is not leading roommates to turn on each other.

One-quarter of respondents said their relations with roommates improved, 14 per cent said worsened, and a majority reported no change at all.

Despite reporting a decline in mental health, three-quarters of Canadians said it would be too soon to begin lifting restrictions on businesses and public gatherings, according to the survey.

There were 48,230 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada and 2,701 deaths.