Mental distress and virtual mental health resource use amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a cross-sectional study in Canada

Abstract

Objective This paper characterizes levels of mental distress among adults living in Canada amid the COVID-19 pandemic and examines the extent of virtual mental health resource use, including reasons for non-use, among adults with moderate to severe distress. Methods Data are drawn from a cross-sectional monitoring survey (29 November to 7 December 2021) on the mental health of adults ( N = 3030) in Canada during the pandemic. Levels of mental distress were assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to examine virtual mental health resource use among participants with moderate to severe distress, including self-reported reasons for non-use. Results Levels of mental distress were classified as none to low (48.8% of participants), moderate (36.6%), and severe (14.6%). Virtual mental health resource use was endorsed by 14.2% of participants with moderate distress and 32% of those with severe distress. Participants with moderate to severe distress reported a range of reasons for not using virtual mental health resources, including not feeling as though they needed help (37.4%), not thinking the supports would be helpful (26.2%), and preferring in-person supports (23.4%), among other reasons. Conclusions This study identified a high burden of mental distress among adults in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic alongside an apparent mismatch between actual and perceived need for support, including through virtual mental health resources. Findings on virtual mental health resource use, and reasons for non-use, offer directions for mental health promotion and health communication related to mental health literacy and the awareness and appropriateness of virtual mental health resources.

Mobile health for mental health support: a survey of attitudes and concerns among mental health professionals in Poland over the period 2020-2023

“…Remote specialist-patient contact has become, in many areas of medicine, the only form of visits at the peak of the pandemic. This was undoubtedly a lever for telepsychiatrycurrently a rapidly growing and constantly evolving branch of mHealth (6,8). Clinical trials of new medical services and devices are struggling to follow the growth of the digital medical marketplace (44).…”

“…In particular, there has been a sharp increase in the use of two solutions offered by mHealth, namely telepsychiatry and mHealth self-management tools (especially mobile apps) in psychiatric care compared to previous years (6,7). At the same time, this contributed to an increase in mental distress and psychiatric symptoms in the community during this period (8)(9)(10). The pandemic has therefore forced a transformation of healthcare and the spread of these solutions, but they can still be widely use afterwards.…”

Prevalence, attitudes and concerns toward telepsychiatry and mobile health self-management tools among patients with mental disorders during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide survey in Poland from 2020 to 2023

“…In particular, over the course of pandemic, there was a notable growth in the adoption of telepsychiatry in comparison to previous years ( 16 , 17 ). This trend correlated with concomitant mental deterioration and increased psychiatric symptoms in the population during the pandemic ( 18–20 ). The pandemic certainly forced a rapid transformation of contact with specialist through remote system.…”