the use of alcohol and cannabis is also up 15 per cent, although robillard described the effect as “a bit of a mixed bag” with some respondents reporting their use has actually declined.though no one is immune, younger people and women seem to be affected the most. that’s not surprising, robillard said, because it’s young women who are most likely dealing with the stress of child care during the pandemic and young people are the ones most likely to have jobs on the front line, dealing with the public.“and we know that sometimes the general public isn’t very compliant with social distancing measures. also, even though you’re working, you may not be sure you’ll be working next month or that you’ll have the hours you need to support yourself.”what’s unknown, however, is whether people will learn to adapt and better cope as the pandemic drags on. some of robillard’s respondents have agreed to stay in the study to help see how their mental health changes over time. and since the study ended in june, it doesn’t take into account the start of the second wave of infections and the stress of a new school year.the takeaway? more resources are going to be needed to deal with mental health needs as the pandemic drags on, she said.“as time goes along, we’re seeing some decrease in the anxiety level,” she said. “people are starting to get a tiny bit less anxious because they’re starting to adapt to the situation, it’s a bit less of a shock. but for a lot of people, that is still a prolonged period of anxiety and stress and in the longer term, it can sustain some degree of depression. while anxiety was going down, the depression is going up.”“one of the other important things about this research is that it shows us, as individuals, that we are not alone,” dr. raj bhatla, chief of staff at the royal said in a statement. “this affects everyone and it is ok to talk about it.”
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need help? these links can help guide you to services:counselling connect offers free access to a same-day or next-day phone or video counselling session:
https://www.counsellingconnect.org/the government of ontario also has this list of services which includes virtual services:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-support-people#section-4wellness together canada is the federal government resource hub for mental health and addictions
https://ca.portal.gs/to find out how to access services at the royal, visit
https://www.theroyal.ca/need-help