If you are in distress, you can text WELLNESS to 741741 at any time. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency department.

Home › Resources › Mental Health and Substance Use During COVID-19: Spotlight on Income, Employment, Access

Mental Health and Substance Use During COVID-19: Spotlight on Income, Employment, Access

COVID-19 continues to seriously impact mental health and substance levels, especially among people with low income or without work.

A new report from the series of Leger polls undertaken by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction shows the disproportionate negative impact COVID-19 is having on people who live with low incomes or who are unemployed or recently lost their jobs.

The survey of more than 8,500 people in Canada also provides insights into the pandemic’s impact on those who have pre-existing substance use disorders or mental illness.

Key findings:

  • People with low income or who are unemployed/laid-off report increased substance use and higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
  • One in four people with low income or who were unemployed/laid-off said finances were a top pandemic stressor (compared to one in seven in the general population).
  • People with low income or who were unemployed/laid-off have faced more barriers in accessing mental health and substance use treatment services.
  • The most common barriers to services included financial constraints, not having readily available help, not knowing how and where to get help, and long wait-lists.

Other reports in this series

Mental Health and Substance Use During COVID-19: First Summary Report

Mental Health and Substance Use During COVID-19: Spotlight on Gender and Household Size

Feedback Form

Hey, thanks for checking out this resource. After you’ve seen it, we’d love to learn a bit more about your interests and how you found us. Was the information what you looking for? Was it helpful? We’ll use any feedback you provide to further improve what we do. In appreciation, you’ll be automatically entered in a contest where you could win a cash prize or gift certificate. *

Disclaimer:

  • Completion of the form is voluntary.
  • The information collected by the Mental Health Commission of Canada will only be used for the purpose described above.
Are you willing to be contacted within 3 to 6 months for a short follow-up survey?
In case of “Yes” – please provide an email address
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

SHARE THIS PAGE

RELATED

This backgrounder highlights emerging data on structural and self-stigma experienced by individuals with mental health or substance use disorder in Canada. The backgrounder provides an overview of purpose, key findings,...

What am I getting wrong about mental health? While people in Canada are talking about mental health more than ever, misconceptions in the media and elsewhere are keeping the stigma...

Despite the strong interest in the relationship between cannabis use and mental health in the Veteran and Veteran family community, published research on the topic in Canada is limited, with...