The executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Saskatchewan division is expecting more mental health calls over the holidays.
Phyllis O’Connor told Global News the stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic regular are exacerbating the regular seasonal stresses, like financial concerns and family issues.
“The social isolation, the anxiety around concern for loved ones, concern for yourself — it’s all just really adding up,” she said.
“Social connection for humans is a primary determinant of mental health and that’s what COVID(-19) has hit.”
The CMHA created a mental health helpline in March. O’Connor said Saskatchewan residents have called it more than 750 times — almost three times a day — and she’s expecting more calls in the next few weeks.
She said the Health Association initially planned to shut down the hotline in October, but that is precisely when more people started calling.
She said pandemic fatigue is likely behind the increase.
O’Connor’s prediction comes after a survey, conducted by the CMHA and the University of British Columbia, found that 40 per cent of respondents across the country, as well as in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, said their mental health has deteriorated during the second wave of COVID-19.
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That number jumps up to 54 per cent for Indigenous people and LGBT people across the country.
It rises to 60 per cent for anyone between the ages of 18 and 24, and to 61 per cent for those who suffered from mental illness before the pandemic began.
Heidi Fischer knows how bad the holidays can be.
She’s dealt with depression and anxiety for more than 20 years and now posts about her experiences with it.
She said that sometimes she’s felt prepared for the pandemic, because her depression and anxiety have kept her at home before.
But she said her mood can change and she’ll feel the full effect of her depression and anxiety combined with worries about the health crisis.
“You might have one or two weeks where things feel good, almost feel normal and then sort of you have a week where everything hits again,” she said, speaking to Global News over Zoom.
When asked to describe what it was like, she said she felt as though she couldn’t get out of bed or was up at night, that she was sad.
Besides family issues and less sunshine (for those who experience seasonal affective disorder), she said the holidays can be hard because it can be hard to access therapists, who may be especially busy with other clients or have taken time off.
“Last year, actually around this time, I was having a hard time and I tried to get an extra appointment and I couldn’t get in until January,” she said.
This year she’s planning quiet get-togethers with her parents — and to keep in mind that she won’t have access to all the supports she normally relies on.
She said she’s arranging to check in with friends who also suffer from mental illness and to make sure everyone has a list of phone numbers to call, if they need additional support.
O’Connor said she was advising everyone to ignore what is beyond their control, check in with family and friends, focus on the vaccine and reach out if you need help.
“We’re in unprecedented times right now, and it’s OK to have anxiety.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
Crisis Services Canada’s toll-free helpline provides 24-7 support at 1-833-456-4566.
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