Page 9 - Huronia Community Foundation - 2023 Vital Signs Report
P. 9

collected in other parts of                                              before age 25. A key finding
        Ontario showing that only                                                from the 2019 Ontario Student
        40.8% of residents are able                                              Drug Use and Health Study
        to see their family doctor or                                            was the high level of mental
        someone else on the same                                                 health problems among
        day or next day when they                                                youth. Almost 31% of Simcoe
        are ill (9).                                                             Muskoka students report their
                                                                                 mental health as fair or poor,
        Another innovation to                                                    with more females (42%) than
        improve access to services                                               males (20%) reporting fair or
        is virtual care including apps                                           poor mental health. A larger
        and video appointments.                                                  percentage of students in lower
        Many local agencies are now        Photo courtesy of the YMCA Simcoe/Muskoka.  socioeconomic groups perceive
        offering virtual as well in                                              their mental health as fair or
        person services. 87% of respondents to the Vital        poor compared to other socioeconomic groups
        Signs survey said they have reliable Internet, so       (13). The impact of isolation, loss of employment
        they are able to take advantage of these new            opportunities and disrupted learning during the
        virtual options (10).
                                                                pandemic have only made the situation worse.
        MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS                                Mental Health agencies are implementing

        In 2020, the percentage of people experiencing          new ways to respond to the growing need.  For
        a mental illness in the previous two years was          example, the Newpath Quick Access Mental
        slightly higher in the North Simcoe area (22.5%)        Health Clinic (14) provides an appointment
        compared to Ontario (18.5%) (11).                       with a mental health professional for children,
                                                                youth, and their families. This clinic was the first
        Many reports suggest that since then, the               recipient of the Huronia Community Foundation’s
        mental health of residents has worsened due             new Bimbombay Memorial Fund (15).
        to the impacts of the pandemic. In particular,
        certain groups like health care workers, youth
        and people living with mental illnesses have
        experienced declining mental health.


        A) HEALTH CARE WORKER MENTAL HEALTH
        Health care workers faced a high degree
        of uncertainty during the pandemic with
        equipment shortages, staff illness, isolation,
        visitor limitations, inequitable pandemic
        incentives, and caring for severely ill patients.
        Findings of a study by Georgian College and
        Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
        found that hospital workers in North Simcoe             Source: https://newpath.ca/2022/11/18/the-bimbombay-memorial-fund/
        experienced increased staff burnout and stress
        as a result of the pandemic (12).                       C) PEOPLE LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND
                                                                SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

        B) YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH                                  People living with mental illness and substance
        When it comes to mental health, early                   use disorders are another segment of our
        identification and intervention is critical. Most       community that was significantly affected by
        mental health concerns start to develop                 the pandemic. Specifically, isolation, a toxic

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