Angus Reid: Half of Canadians say their mental health has worsened during two years of COVID lockdowns

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A new poll shows more than half of Canadians saying their mental health has worsened during the past two years of COVID lockdowns.

Women under 55 were hit hardest. Two-thirds of women aged 35-54 say their mental health has taken a nosedive in the last 24 months.

The study also found that one in five Canadians say their relationship with their partner has deteriorated since March 2020. Almost 40% of Canadians said their relationships with family have worsened over the course of the pandemic.

The poll done by Angus Reid in partnership with the CBC found the following:

Overall, half of Canadians (54%) say their mental health has worsened over the past two years, while one-in-three say it has not changed greatly either way (33%) and one-in-eight (12%) say they feel better mentally now than when the pandemic began.

Women between the ages of 18 and 54 fare worst. Three-in-five 18- to 34-year-old women (60%) say their mental health has worsened, while 63 per cent of those 35 to 54 note the same.

Physically, the story is similar. With gyms periodically closed and Canadian winters keeping many indoors, most Canadians report that the pandemic has negatively impacted their physical health. Slightly higher numbers say their physical health has improved (17% physical versus 12% mental), led by three-in-ten younger men (29%) and one-quarter of younger women (24%). Nonetheless, at least 48 per cent of all age and gender combinations say their physical health has regressed since March 2020.