Porcupine Health Unit wants to know how people coped with the pandemic
Over the next couple of weeks, a telephone survey will be conducted on behalf of the health unit as a follow-up to a survey that was conducted two years ago.
Porcupine Health Unit officials say as the region continues to learn how to live with covid-19, they're committed to improving the mental wellness of the people they serve.
A telephone survey to be conducted by EKOS Research will ask people a few questions.
“We do encourage you to take the call and take the time to complete the survey. Otherwise, you can always contact the health unit if you want to share some information or some thoughts about mental health and well-being,” said the health unit’s Chantal Riopel
Riopel said this survey will be a follow-up to one conducted in Dec 2020, eight months into the pandemic.
From the 400 respondents at that time, she said more than a quarter of them revealed their mental health had worsened during the pandemic. And, that alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use had increased in some age groups.
“We want to be able to compare and see what the differences are, how much of the impact it has had on our community members, and if it’s changed, what that looks like.”
Officials with the District School Board Ontario North East said when the community is struggling, its students are struggling.
Lesleigh Dye said the pandemic has exacerbated issues of food and housing insecurity.
“Some of our schools, more than in the past, are making sure students have food for the weekend. We have some students who are relying on friends and other extended families for shelter.”
As a result, Dye said 20 percent of the 7-thousand students the board serves, requires assessments and or therapeutic support.
The health unit's survey will end on June 3, and the results will be posted on its website.
Health officials said the information will help them know what type of support the community needs to help people heal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.