A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute suggests that about half of Canadians have seen their mental health decline during this pandemic.

Speaking on The Jeff Andreas Show, Research Director Dave Korzinski says it’s not surprising that the older you are the more likely you are to be concerned. “Canadians who are older are more likely to say that they are worried abut the virus. They’re worried about the impacts that it could have on them and their family. And I think that’s just the reality of it. It’s just a lot more difficult for people who might be at risk than people who are younger.”

On the flip side, about one third of respondents said they were managing well.

The survey also spoke to household relationships. Korzinski says people with four or more people in their home are more likely to say that they are having a worse time, but they’re also more likely to say that their relationships have improved.

“Twenty-nine per cent say that things have gotten better. So, more time with the family is actually leading to having a little bit more time with the kids or your partner and people are weathering it quite well right now, we got more positive responses than negative on that.”

When it comes to physical well-being, Korzinski says 42% of respondents believe they’re worse off today then they were a month ago. “A lot of people I think are having a difficult time getting out there and being active because there’s such a focus on staying home and avoiding people in public spaces and it’s been tricky. All the gyms are closed.”

Canadians are most likely to describe their feelings as worried, anxious or bored, but more than one third of people said they are grateful for the way the pandemic has so far been handled.

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