COVID-19 Pandemic and its Effect on People’s Mental Health

COVID-19 Pandemic and its Effect on People’s Mental Health

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

The world changed when the first documented case of COVID-19 in Canada happened on Jan. 27, 2020.

After that, people’s sense of normalcy changed.

“We see a variety of responses from individuals who are impacted by COVID-19. Really, all of us are impacted by COVID-19 in different ways,” stated Nicholas Mitchell, Provincial Medical Director for Addictions and Mental Health.

“I have seen some people who are coping well and some who are struggling with increased stress, isolation, loss of contact with their support network, and then some of those folks are reporting higher levels of distress and anxiety.”

Mitchell went on to say, “At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta Health Services launched our mental health support line where we are getting about 100 calls a day from Albertans across the province. These are people who are struggling to cope with COVID- 19, struggling with other stresses such as changes in their job or changes in their activities because of limitations.”

He pointed out, “There are some groups who are at higher risks of the consequences of isolation than others so we have seen particularly in seniors and folks who are in care homes or other environments where they are not allowed to have visitors, we have seen more concerns about low moods because of isolation.

With children, I think the challenges are more related to the uncertainty; the way things have changed and schools have been shut down, extracurricular activities have been cancelled. So, a lot of the routines that they have been involved in have changed. But with children, it really depends on the age of the kid. It also depends on how the parent or caregivers are doing. One of the best predictors of a child doing well through COVID-19 or stress like COVID would be having an adult in their lives who is coping well and is able to help them talk about their emotions and how they are feeling and responding.

Most people that are being impacted by COVID don’t need any sort of professional intervention; it is really about using coping strategies that we would use generally to manage stress. But the way we do this might change because our outlets are not as available; they might not be team sports to help us cope or things like that,” Mitchell said.

As far as the physical side effects, Mitchell said COVID-19 is a respiratory virus, so it impacts a person’s lungs. “COVID doesn’t have an impact on a person’s brain. But I work at the University Hospital in Edmonton and I have seen a lot of individuals with COVID-19. People tend to be anxious when they have this virus because we’ve seen a lot on the news about it and the impact of the illness and people who have it are also concerned about giving it to people they love.”

He noted that “Throughout the Province of Alberta, we have Mental Health Clinics; there is a Mental Health Clinic in Vegreville as well at the Vegreville Community Health Centre. But we are suggesting to folks, a good place to start if they have questions or concerns about mental health supports is to look on the Alberta Health Services website because we have a link called Health in Tough Times that has information on general mental health, coping strategies, and when you should be concerned and when you should reach out for help. It has contact information too.”

Mitchell said AHS hasn’t seen any significant changes in the number of people accessing AHS Community Resources across the province. “Our clinics are still running and we are still seeing people, but we haven’t seen an increase in clients using them.