scholarly journals Suicide ideation in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Liu ◽  
Colin A. Capaldi ◽  
Raelyne L. Dopko
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
The Past ◽  
Community Health Survey ◽  
Frontline Worker ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Lower Household Income

Introduction Many Canadians report decreased mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and concerns have been raised about possible increases in suicide. This study investigates the pandemic’s potential impact on adults’ suicide ideation. Methods We compared self-reported suicide ideation in 2020 versus 2019 by analyzing data from the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (11 September to 4 December 2020) and the 2019 Canadian Community Health Survey. Logistic regression was conducted to determine which populations were at higher risk of suicide ideation during the pandemic. Results The percentage of adults reporting suicide ideation since the pandemic began (2.44%) was not significantly different from the percentage reporting suicide ideation in the past 12 months in 2019 (2.73%). Significant differences in the prevalence of recent suicide ideation in 2020 versus 2019 also tended to be absent in the numerous sociodemographic groups we examined. Risk factors of reporting suicide ideation during the pandemic included being under 65 years, Canadian-born or a frontline worker; reporting pandemic-related income/job loss or loneliness/isolation; experiencing a lifetime highly stressful/traumatic event; and having lower household income and educational attainment. Conclusion Evidence of changes in suicide ideation due to the pandemic were generally not observed in this research. Continued surveillance of suicide and risk/protective factors is needed to inform suicide prevention efforts.

scholarly journals Is the Statistical Association between Sex and the Use of Services for Mental Health Reasons Confounded or Modified by Social Anchorage?

2005 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 599-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Drapeau ◽  
Alain Lesage ◽  
Richard Boyer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Statistical Association ◽  
Community Health Survey ◽  
Use Of Services ◽  
And Control ◽  
Control Study

Objective: Confounding and interaction have differing implications for the interpretation of findings and the design of research, mental health services, and policy. This study aimed to verify whether the association between sex and the use of services for mental health reasons is confounded or modified by social anchorage. Methods: We undertook a case–control study nested in Cycle 1.2 of the Canadian Community Health Survey. Cases were defined as users of general medical services for mental health reasons in the previous 12 months, and control subjects were defined as never-users of any services for mental health reasons. The pattern of social anchorage was described by the roles of parent, spouse, worker, and their combination. Results: Overall, women are 2.9 times more likely than men to use general services for mental health reasons. However, this inequality between women and men decreases substantially or subsides in individuals who are less anchored to Canadian society. For instance, in single parents and in unemployed parents, the odds of using general services for mental health reasons are similar in women and in men. The pattern of social anchorage tends to modify, but not to confound, the association between sex and the use of services. Conclusions: Ignoring the interaction between sex and the pattern of social anchorage distorts the interpretation of the inequality between women and men in the use of general medical services for mental health reasons and may affect the design of comprehensive mental health services and policy.

scholarly journals Mental Health Professional Consultations and the Prevalence of Mood and Anxiety Disorders Among Immigrants: Multilevel Analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinenye Nmanma Nwoke ◽  
Udoka Okpalauwaekwe ◽  
Hauwa Bwala
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Mental Health Professional ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Mood And Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Community Health Survey

BACKGROUND There is a significant body of evidence on the link between migration and mental health stressors. However, there has been very little research on the use of mental health services by immigrants in Canada. The prevalence of mental health professional consultations among immigrants, as well as its correlations, are not well understood and remain largely unknown. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine how specialist mental health visits (to a psychiatrist) differ from general mental health visits (to a family doctor or general practitioner) from immigrants, when compared to visits from those born in Canada, in a nationally representative sample of Canadian adults. This study also examines which group—immigrant or Canadian-born—suffers more from depression or anxiety, 2 of the more common mental health conditions. METHODS We used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) between the years 2015 and 2016. The outcome variables included consultation with any mental health professional, consultation with a specialist (psychiatrist), and the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders. The independent variable was immigrant status. Other variables of interest were adjusted for in the analyses. Multilevel regression models were developed, and all analyses were performed with Stata IC statistical software (version 13.0, StataCorp). RESULTS The prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders was significantly lower among immigrants compared with individuals born in Canada; the prevalence of mood disorders was 5.24% (389,164/7,422,773) for immigrants vs. 9.15% (2,001,829/21,885,625) for individuals born in Canada, and the prevalence of anxiety disorders was 4.47% (330,937/7,410,437) for immigrants vs. 9.51% (2,083,155/21,898,839) for individuals born in Canada. It is expected that individuals with a lower prevalence of mood or anxiety disorders would use mental health services less frequently. However, results show that immigrants, while less likely to consult with any mental health professional (OR=0.80, 95% CI 0.72-0.88, <i>P</i>&lt;.001), were more likely to consult with a psychiatrist (OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.04-1.48, <i>P</i>=.02) for their mental health visits when compared to individuals born in Canada. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study reveal an unusual discord between the likelihood of mental health professional consultations with any mental health professional and mental health visits with psychiatrists among immigrants compared to nonimmigrants in Canada. Mental health initiatives need to be cognizant of the differences in the associated characteristics of consultations for immigrants to better tailor mental health services to be responsive to the unique needs of immigrant populations in Canada.

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