The mental health of Albertans has been declining since the beginning of the pandemic and experts say there are not enough resources available to tackle the problem.
In March, the Canadian Mental Health Association released a report which revealed that Albertans are feeling stressed, angry, lonely, or depressed.
Two out of every five Albertans said financial concerns had been a source of stress in the past two weeks and nearly half of Albertans say they have been struggling to cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic.
Giri Puligandla, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Edmonton Region said the report highlighted what mental health experts already know.
Puligandla said the isolation and social challenges the pandemic has brought have been wearing on Albertans and the economic uncertainty has brought more stress.
“What makes somebody feel more stressed out than when they're worried about money?” Puligandla said.
On top of general stress of the pandemic, certain demographics were hit harder than others, with youth mental health taking a toll during the last two years.
“They're used to being surrounded by their peers and in supportive environments like schools and all of a sudden they are home by themselves,” Puligandla said.
Youth ages 15 to 29 have had a heightened risk for anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation through the pandemic, due to having experienced school closures, the stresses and challenges of virtual learning, isolation and separation from peers, and stress in the family, the report read.
Kids Help Phone has seen an increase in calls by 350 per cent, the report read.
Seniors have also suffered more from the pandemic due to the fear of catching COVID-19 and fear of going out for basic social interactions, Puligandla said, and barriers to accessing services prevented seniors from getting help due to challenges navigating virtual platforms.
While mental-health needs have increased in the province, Puligandla said many people don’t know where to turn to get support or help, an issue that existed before the pandemic.
“I think these are systems issues, and all the pandemic did was lay them bare so that you can’t ignore them anymore,” Puligandla said.
“There's never been a moment when more people have been more stressed out and more impacted in terms of their mental health, and if we don't do something now, we're going to pay for it for generations.”
Change is needed at both a systemic level and an individual level, Puligandla said, and everyone needs to not just be a bystander when they see someone who is suffering from mental-health problems.
“Every one of us needs to be able to respond when somebody reaches out to us for help or we notice somebody struggling … we can’t rely on the health system,” Puligandla said.
On a systemic level, Puligandla said there needs to be a system of care built in the community.
“We can’t rely on the health-care system. It is completely stretched and broken, quite frankly, after this pandemic,” Puligandla said.
The community needs to design and build a system for mental health and addiction that people can access, Puligandla said, that makes sense and is simple for people to find the help they need.
If you or someone you love is struggling, please call the Distress Line at (780) 482-4357 for crisis support, or 211 for information on resources available in the community.
