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The Telus (formerly known as LifeWorks) Mental Health Index provides data on the current mental health status of employed adults all across Canada amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The current data is benchmarked against data from 2017-2019.
The fluctuations in the index can predict the cost and productivity risks while also informing the need for mental health investments by businesses and the multiple levels of government. The index – published monthly – also highlights the specific impact of current issues in the community. The latest index to be released was for March.
The index shows that the mental health of workers in Canada rebounded in March following a sharp drop in February- improving by 1.4 points.
Rashaad Vahed, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Branch, says that no one thing is responsible for the rebound that happened in March.
"There are really multiple factors going on here. We begin with the change of season, but in addition, we have had people coming more and more out of the pandemic. We are seeing people engaging with social life, recreation, as well as returning to work in new ways," commented Vahed.
Mental health risk
- 33 per cent of workers have a high mental health risk
- 44 per cent have a moderate mental health risk
- 23 per cent have a low mental health risk
The index also shows that the mental health scores of managers are higher than that of non-managers and the national average.
The index also highlights how trauma affects a person's long-term mental health. Two in five workers have experienced a traumatic event that has a lasting negative impact on their mental health.
A more in-depth look at the data shows that women are 50 per cent more likely than men to have experienced a traumatic event that has had a lasting impact on their mental health.
"When we have a traumatic experience, you will hear people say, time heals. But if you've had a strong traumatic experience, actually what's happened is the body has learned specific ways of coping to just get you through the moment," says Vahed.
"But in time, some of the coping mechanisms that got you through the initial experience may not be as helpful later on. Strong traumatic experiences could affect you in terms of your ability to learn, how you socialize, how you deal with big emotions, and your ability to get out of the house and do things which were exciting or enjoyable for you before. For this, you may need professional support."
Self-esteem
Self-esteem was also highlighted in the index, as more than one in ten workers rated their self-esteem as low or very low. According to the index, workers, family and friends, co-workers, and managers tend to perceive their mental health as better than how they experience it themselves.
Alongside self-esteem, 18 per cent of people do not have at least one person they can turn to in times of distress. Family, friends, co-workers and managers tend to perceive the worker's mental health better than how they experience it themselves.
Dr. Jeremy Butler, MD, staff psychiatrist at Halton Healthcare, says that people tend to hide how they really feel from others because they don't want to overshare or overwhelm someone else with their feelings.
"Many people feel like they would overwhelm someone if they spoke up or shared, and some people have had negative experiences when they've shared their feelings historically and don't want to repeat that experience," added Dr. Butler.
Finance & emergency savings
Finance and the need for emergency savings are the final spotlights in the index. The index shows that individuals without emergency savings continue to experience a lower score (42.1) compared to the overall group (64.3), and people with emergency savings have a mental health score of 74.6.
When asked if workers in Canada have the financial means to support themselves, it was found that one in ten do not have sufficient financial means to support themselves. The group unable to financially support themselves had a mental health score of 42.4, 22 points below the national average of 64.3.
"People have a tremendous ability to tolerate stress voluntarily. However, when factors make work less voluntary, stress becomes harder to tolerate. Financial pressures or job scarcity starts to tilt a job into a have-to-do instead of (ideally) a want-to-do which creates a vicious cycle," says Dr. Butler.
"Money buys flexibility and time; as one has less of it, there is less freedom and ability to find solutions to problems that might be more agreeable to any one person."
Individuals without emergency savings are almost eight times more likely to rate their mental health as in crisis or near a crisis than someone with emergency savings.
Mental health support
If you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health issue, help is available. The Canadian Mental Health Association has a 24/7 Crisis line which you can reach at 1-877-825-9011.
They also offer various free programs, services and learning opportunities to help you and the people around you as much as possible through different forms. For more information on the programs and services, call (905) 693-4270 or email info@cmharb.ca.
