Canadians mental health improving, still below pre-pandemic levels: study
Canadians mental health is slowly getting better but it is still far below the average that was set before the pandemic according to the most recent mental health index from LifeWorks.
Since April 2020, LifeWorks has been providing a monthly update on Canadians mental health throughout the pandemic.
For August 2021, the company found the overall mental health index is at -9.7. This score is up from the -10.1 set in July, but LifeWorks said this is still almost 10 points below the pre-pandemic level.
The good news about the number is this is the highest mark since the index started being tracked.
Breaking down the index per province, it shows that Manitobans mental health has declined compared to last month.
In July, the index had Manitoba at a -9.7 but that has dipped in August to -10.6. Alberta currently has the worst mark sitting at -12.5 while Newfoundland and Labrador lead the country at -5.0.
WORKING WHILE PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY UNWELL
For the month of August, LifeWorks also look at productivity loss at work while Canadians were feeling unwell, whether that be physically or mentally.
The results found that 54 per cent of Canadians report feeling unwell at least one day per week and their mental health scores are much lower than those who don't report feeling unwell while at work.
LifeWorks also found that those with a mental health score of -40 or lower have an estimated productivity loss of 27 per cent.
When looking at employees who are parents compared to those who don't have children, it found 64 per cent of parents reported feeling unwell at least one day a week compared to only 36 per cent of people without children.
WHERE CANADIANS WORK IMPACTS MENTAL HEALTH
LifeWorks research also found that 65 per cent of Canadians consider the organization they work for a great place to work.
Those who enjoy where they work have a higher mental health score, -3.1 on the mental health index, compared to those who don't enjoy their workplace.
For those who don't like where they are working, around 15 per cent, LifeWorks said their mental health scores are lower than the national average by more than double the amount.
The research also found that people who are managers are more likely to like their organization compared to non-manager employees.
LifeWorks collects the data through an online survey of 3,000 Canadians who are employed or were employed in the last six months. The same 3,000 people are used each month so there is no sampling bias.
The mental health scores are created by assigning a point value to every question and the higher the number, the better mental health results for each person.
All the numbers are added together and then divided by a total number of possible points to get a score out of 100. LifeWorks said the raw score is the mathematical mean of the individual scores.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.