Canadian Occupational Safety

www.thesafetymag.com/ca 23 F E A T U R E VIRTUAL CARE, REAL HELP Although viewed as a niche up until recently, telemedicine services have been gaining traction during the pandemic. And with mental health concerns growing, this can only be a good thing HERE we are, in 2021, more than a year after the start of a pandemic that nobody could have predicted. With concerns over vaccines, travel bubbles and COVID-19 variants, it almost makes sense that our collective mental health seems to be deteriorating. Reports seem to be rolling in almost daily about workers' mental health and, spoiler alert, it is not looking great for a number of industries, with health care and education being particularly affected. Mental health has become an increasingly important topic in the OHS for the last few years, but the pandemic has certainly accelerated this trend. Since the start of the pandemic, I have found myself writing on the topic on an almost daily basis. The facts are frightening, and it only seems to be getting worse. Nevertheless, it seems as if solutions are multiplying to support Canadians during these trying times. As many services have shifted online, so, it seems, has health. Worsening mental health According to a survey conducted at the end of 2020 by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), 10 per cent of Canadians are experiencing recent thoughts or feelings of suicide. These feelings are exacerbated notably by those with existing mental illness or mental health issues (27 per cent). Overall, 40 per cent of Canadians say that their mental health has deteriorated since the start of the pandemic last March. Canadians have been widely affected by the pandemic, and, in fact, most of them will have had their mental health impacted in some way. current situation. There have been winners and losers to this pandemic, and those companies that have managed to leverage their tech expertise have by and large been winners. Last year, Canadian Occupational Safety organized a roundtable on the theme of tech in the occupational health and safety sector. The consensus was that COVID-19 had impacted the way tech was being developed and applied but also adopted in the OHS sector. Another thing that came up was that this was only the beginning; developments will no doubt continue after the pandemic. One of the reasons why tech has advanced as a result of the pandemic is the imperative to reduce unnecessary physical contact. Conversely though, Canadians still need to access health services. This has led to many health services shifting online — including mental health services. And, so, telemedicine is really where tech and mental health collide. Digital health care "The pandemic has certainly raised our social consciousness on mental health "We are seeing a direct relationship between social stressors and declining mental health. As the pandemic wears on and cases and related restrictions rise, a good proportion of our population is suffering," said Emily Jenkins, lead researcher of the study Mental health impacts of COVID-19: Wave 2." Particularly concerning are the levels of suicidal thinking and self-harm, which have increased exponentially since before the pandemic and are further magnified in certain sub-groups of the population who were already experiencing stigma, exclusion, racism and discrimination," she said. It seems as if almost every month a new study comes out with results confirming that more and more Canadian workers are suffering with a range of mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. This is hardly surprising, with worries about finances, personal and family health, job security and isolation plaguing workers. Tech advances At the same time, tech solutions are seriously progressing as a result of the TOP COVID-19 STRESS FACTORS "Mental health will be impacted by the next couple of years because of this pandemic, so it's really important that we can address this early in the course." Dr. Marc Robin, Dialogue 71% Worry about the second wave of the virus 58% Fear over a loved one or family member dying 55% Worried over contracting the virus themselves 54% Scared of being separated from family and friends 51% Fears around vaccine safety and effectiveness Source: "Mental health impacts of COVID-19: Wave 2" report from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CAMH) collected in Sept. 2020

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