Almost half (45%) say it would be hard to talk about their mental health with loved ones, Ipsos poll reveals
Three in ten Ontarians (31%) who are 18 or older experience mental health problems, according to a new Ipsos Poll conducted on behalf of Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10.
That proportion translates to 3.5 million adults in Ontario, of whom 75% say they have an anxiety-related disorder.
The accessibility of mental health care is another issue that worries Ontarians, according to the poll. Forty-one percent of Ontarians surveyed believe it would be challenging to access mental health services in their neighborhood.
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With nearly half (45%) of Ontarians finding it a challenge to talk to their loved ones about their mental health, the data also point to a lack of familial support.
"Knowing anxiety and other mental health issues affect 3.5 million Ontarian adults and that 41 percent have difficulty accessing mental health services, certainly illustrates that more work needs to be done," according to Karim Mamdani, president and chief executive officer of Ontario Shores, a specialized mental health facility that has been caring for patients with mental illness for more than a century.
"This figure serves as a timely reminder that the demand for mental health services is rapidly increasing. Ontario Shores, like many other mental healthcare providers, has seen an increase in service demand," said Mamdani. "We believe that this is only the beginning, and that even more pressure to support the mental health of the communities we serve is just around the corner."
Former Ontario Shores adolescence inpatient Sterling Renzoni said that when he was at the worst of his illness, he frequently felt as though he had no voice outside of his eating disorder.
As a mental health advocate and member of a patient advisory and recovery committee, he is working toward a healthcare system that is strengthened by the voices of those who have experienced it firsthand.
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"I want to help patients feel understood and supported by shaping hospital policies and providing a representation of hope for those battling mental illness," Renzoni said.
"What's more, 31% of Ontarians said their mental health deteriorated during the pandemic, and 60% of parents said their children's mental health declined as well."
