So, a year later, have any of these hopes materialized? Has the pandemic had any benefits for our well-being, or are we all worse off across the board? How have our mental health and well-being evolved and changed compared with this time last year?

Scientists are analyzing huge datasets to track the impact that pandemic control measures have had on people’s mental health. Although the full picture has yet to become clear, we can discern its early contours — and the overall first impression is looking rather bleak.

Scientists are starting to see a global “surge” in depression. According to a December 2020 survey⁽³⁾ by the Census Bureau, 42% of people in the country reported symptoms of anxiety or depression that month. This was a huge increase from the 11% they recorded in 2019.

Another study⁽⁴⁾ found that cases of depression have tripled over the course of the pandemic.

Onre more study⁽⁵⁾ that looked at residents in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada found a 14% increase in anxiety as a result of the pandemic.

An important thing to note is that the pandemic seems to have affected older adults’ mental health less severely, compared with that of younger adults.

When explicitly asked if things had gotten better or worse, here's what people had to say: 

“At this stage, worse. While I’m hopeful about the vaccine bringing positive change, the way people have decided that the virus is no longer an issue is a cause of stress. Add in the other challenges that have arisen over the [past] year, and the stress is amplified.”

- Lauren, Etobicoke ON

“Much worse. I’d say my mental health has slowly declined over the past year.”

- Matilde, Montreal QC

“I am feeling much worse a year on, hands down.”

- Rajan, Brampton ON

Interestingly, some folks have pointed out that resilience is not necessarily protecting them from the adverse mental health effects of the pandemic. Even though they feel stronger, that does not make them feel emotionally better.

“I feel I’ve become stronger mentally but have had to overcome stress and loneliness in a way I never would have imagined. [I feel] stronger, but certainly more weary! My mental state is worse overall.”

- Armand, Delta BC

“The one positive that I can acknowledge 1 year on is that I have a newfound respect for myself and more confidence in my own abilities: I have made it on my own through a very isolating, difficult, anxiety-inducing time, and I remind myself of my own strength every day.”

- April, Edmonton AB

Others reported feelings of emptiness and indifference at this stage. “I mostly feel sort of numb,” one reader said. “I feel like I go through each day on autopilot,” they added.

Another person noted that they feel “removed” from other people.

Many Canadians echo feelings that surveys documented at the start of the pandemic and report that these feelings have amplified. They note a lack of concentration, lack of energy, difficulty sleeping, and unhealthy eating habits.

“I’m exhausted all the time. It’s an emotional exhaustion. That being said, falling asleep is a challenge most nights because it’s the first time in the day when nobody is there, expecting things from me, and my brain begins focusing on every problem, question, or concern I pushed to the side in order to make it through a workday and parenting the children.”

- Sherri, Toronto ON

“I have been having sleeping issues,” Sherri noted. “I have some nights where I just lie awake, which I rarely had before. Other times, I wake after a long sleep but still feel exhausted, despite not doing much during the week.”

Many Canadians mentioned a lack of restorative sleep. “I don’t sleep less, but my sleep is of poorer quality, and I often don’t feel restored in the mornings,” says Dennis from Georgetown, ON

Researchers have expressed worry that some of these adverse mental health effects may linger after we come out of the pandemic. “I don’t think this is going to go back to baseline anytime soon,” clinical psychologist Luana Marques — from Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA

Of course, for some people, the baseline was already quite low. This makes things more worrying for them.

“I have experienced exceedingly high levels of anxiety. Older concerns I used to have have come back and seem more overwhelming than ever,” says Sophia from Mississauga, ON.

Sophia states:

“I’ve always been a relatively anxious kind of person, but that aspect of my personality has really come to the fore. I am constantly on edge. I no longer find joy in the things I used to love, and my go-to emotion is panic.”

- Sophia, Mississauga ON