Understanding the Perceived Mental Health of Canadians During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND:While the physical health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are regularly publicly available, the mental health toll on Canadians is unknown. This article examines the self-perceived mental health of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores associations with various concerns after accounting for socioeconomic and health factors. DATA:The cross-sectional Canadian Perspectives Survey Series 1 collected information related to COVID-19 in late March and early April 2020 concerning labour market participation, behaviours, and health for the Canadian population 15 years and older living in the 10 provinces. METHODS:Socioeconomic and health characteristics of respondents as well as concerns about the impact of COVID-19 were examined to determine differences in experiencing excellent or very good compared to good, fair or poor perceived mental health. RESULTS:Just over half of Canadians aged 15 and older (54%) reported excellent or very good mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several concerns were also associated with mental health. Notably, after considering the effects of socioeconomic and health characteristics, women, youth, individuals with a physical health condition and those who were very or extremely concerned with family stress from confinement were less likely to report excellent or very good mental health. DISCUSSION:These findings point to particular risks for lower perceived mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results highlight various concerns of Canadians which may be associated with mental health, in particular, family stress in the home.