Wealthier neighbourhoods had more access to virtual mental health services in the pandemic: study
CTV
Recent data from the Canadian Institution for Health Information shows that wealthier neighbourhoods in Canada had more access to virtual mental health services during the pandemic.
It’s well understood that the pandemic worsened the mental health of Canadians across the country—but it’s wealthier neighbourhoods that received more access to virtual care options and services, according to a recent study.
Data has shown that the mental health of those who struggle with anxiety, depression, and psychological distress worsened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with one in 10 Canadians polled by Canadian Association of Mental Health in July 2020 citing as such.
But the pandemic also impacted the delivery of mental health services, as in-person appointments were put on hold indefinitely, and virtual appointments were offered in their place, a recent report shows.
And according to a recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the virtual delivery of mental health services was more available for Canadians who lived in higher-income neighbourhoods.
New data on virtual mental health care from the Institute published in December showed that the mental health services increased overall across Canada, however the access to virtual services varied geographically and population-wise.
The report looked at trends of virtual mental health services across five Canadian provinces, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, between the timeframe of April 2019 and March 2021.
A visit with a family physician, pediatrician or psychiatrist, where the diagnosis on the claim is for anxiety or depression, were the classified forms of mental health services in the report.
