Humber College student Courtney Eves said she and her friends get together regularly to prop each other up as the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing them back to online learning.
Eves, a student in the Advertising Marketing and Communication production, said she reached out to a therapist after speaking with her university and college friends.
Therapy can be expensive and for those who can’t afford it, Canadians can access support ranging from self-assessment tools, peer support, social workers and psychologists through the federal government’s Public Health Agency.
It provides online resources and help in dealing with mental health issues while dealing with the isolation and changes brought on by COVID-19.
Anne Genier, senior media relations advisor for the Public Health Agency, said Canadians needing help in taking care of their mental health are empowered when given the appropriate information and resources.
That in turn allows them to support others and become “more resilient and prepared for pandemic recovery,” she said.
The agency reported one in five Canadians experienced a mental illness or an addiction problem, while nearly half of Canadians have reported their mental health worsened during the pandemic.
The federal government is funding mental health and counselling through its 2021 budget, which committed $100 million to support mental health initiatives for those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
That includes $62 million allotted for Wellness Together Canada (WTC), an online mental health and substance use resource portal that offers free counselling to Canadians struggling with their mental health during the pandemic.
WTC was initially intended to be an urgent but temporary response to pandemic concerns, but has since become a service that will operate throughout the budget’s lifespan.
Genier said the government considers supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic a priority.
“Taking care of our mental health is necessary for living a healthy life and an important factor in overall health,” she said. “There is no health without mental health.”
The Public Health Agency said students are among the priority groups — which includes immigrants, Indigenous persons, black and other racialized peoples — in its focus regarding mental health.
Eves said the constant changes to her learning is making her mental health unstable.
“With the pandemic there’s an added stress of the demand of school and not having the resources needed,” Eves said. “There’s also a large financial stress with having to work while being a full student, it all takes a toll on my mental health.”
WTC and other services provided by the federal government offers support for students dealing with the stress and anxiety in the transition in returning to online learning, she said.
Genier said the Public Health Agency will continue to support the government’s effort in prioritizing mental health until Omicron variant cases begin to decline and the development of a structured plan on how to better deal with the ongoing pandemic.
Anyone seeking support support for their mental health are urged to contact Wellness Together at https://wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA.