One in 10 Canadians say they’ve contemplated suicide since the pandemic began
December 7, 2020
One out of 10 Canadians reported experiencing suicidal thoughts in September at the onset of the pandemic’s second wave — a staggering, unprecedented figure that experts say shows the extent of the prolonged mental health toll COVID-19 has on the population.
The figure is reported in the latest survey conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), which asked around 3,000 Canadians questions about their mental health between Sept. 14 and 21.
“Early on in the pandemic, there was a sense that many of these mental health consequences were going to be quite transient; that they would resolve quickly alongside the pandemic,” said Dr. Emily Jenkins, lead researcher and an associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Nursing.
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