Mental health issues growing in business community due to COVID – Calgary Herald
Mental health issues growing in business community due to COVID
CMHA Calgary said anxiety has eclipsed depression as the number one mental health issue they are seeing, though depression is still high on the list.
Jordan said the study done with the UBC also pointed to 50 per cent of adults reported feeling no feelings of happiness at all, 10 per cent had recent thoughts or feelings of suicide and up to 54 per cent reported a decline in their mental health since the onset of COVID-19.
One of the manifestations of this is in the addictions crisis as they are seeing an increase in opioid overdose deaths, and not just in the fringe populations. Through October of 2021 there were 390 deaths due to opioid poisoning in Calgary — there were 392 in all of 2020.
“When you look at the statistics for Alberta, and specifically Calgary, those people dying of fentanyl overdoses are middle-class suburban Calgarians,” said Jordan. “That was an epidemic before the pandemic and we’ve only seen those numbers continue to soar.”
Our Peer Support program services can be accessed over the phone at 403-297-1402 or through email at peer@cmha.calgary.ab.ca. We have teamed up with other Calgary agencies to help Calgarians quickly and easily access various counselling and social supports. Visit www.communityconnectyyc.ca, where you can book online for our Suicide Bereavement and Family Support Counselling, and other supports. If you prefer to still book through us, please phone (403-297-1708), or email (counsellingintake@cmha.calgary.ab.ca).