Among the Canadians who contributed to the July 2022 Mental Health Index, 56 per cent say that events in the past two years have had a negative impact on their children.
Released by LifeWorks, the Mental Health Index also reveals that children are anxious about the future because of the events of the past two years, according to 27 per cent of the Canadians surveyed. The Index is based on a sample of 3,000 people who live in Canada, who are or were employed in the six months prior to the survey. The survey data were gathered between July 7 and 12.
TELUS Corporation topped up TELUS Health’s services by acquiring LifeWorks on September 1, 2022, at a cost of $2.3 billion, along with roughly $600 million in net debt.
Children anxious
The LifeWorks index also shows that children aged 15 and older are more anxious about the future than the Canadian average. What’s more, 24 per cent of parents say that the events of the past two years have had a negative impact on their children’s social development.
In terms of schooling, 23 per cent of parents report that the events of the past two years have had a negative impact on their children’s academic development.
A minority of parents (39 per cent) say the past two years have had no major impact on their children. This group has a mental health score of 72.4, seven points higher than the national average, the Mental Health Index notes.
A clearer picture
This is the most extensive research on children to date, LifeWorks Research Group research director Marilyn Grand’Maison told Insurance Portal. “We’ve asked some questions in the past about the mental health of children and their parents. This time, the goal was to get a little clearer picture. We had seen the impact of events on children’s mental health before, but these were more general statistics. Already, parents were noting a negative impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health,” she explains.
As for the anxiety upturn among youth over 15, Grand’Maison believes that people in this age range are more aware and understand issues more clearly. Older teens can discuss topics with their parents, she says. “In this age group, the severity of the health measures has really been experienced deeply,” she adds. Young people have also lost loved ones and seen the impact on their parents, she says. “Children understand the gravity of what happened and is still happening. “
Adolescents are reaching a point where they need to think about how they will build their future careers, Marilyn Grand’Maison further continues. “It’s already a lot of stress in a normal situation; in the circumstances of the last two years, it can easily become a source of anxiety: How do you find your way amid so much instability,” she says.
Development under threat
Grand’Maison points out that parents who have observed a negative impact of events on their children have a much poorer mental health score than other parents. “One in four parents noticed a negative impact on their children’s social development―that’s huge! “
She thinks isolation and distancing played a role in these results. “Younger children are honing their social skills and their brains are rapidly developing,” Grand’Maison says. In this phase, limiting the number of interactions or changing the way they take place can have an impact. “School started up again quickly after the pandemic began, but sometimes in person, sometimes virtually. These measures create turmoil at a time when stability is extremely important for children.”
Adults withdraw
The LifeWorks research director also sees an impact on adults, who are tending to withdraw. “In a previous report, we noted that 68 percent of people are more comfortable with less social interaction. “
In fact, isolation is a major risk factor for mental health, Marilyn Grand’Maison notes. “Having strong, healthy relationships with family, friends, and colleagues protects one’s mental health. If we deprive ourselves of that, it’s a cycle that can affect children and parents. It’s important to create opportunities for social relationships, to come out of our shell and avoid falling into the trap of avoidance mechanisms,” she explains.
Is EAP the solution?
In commenting on the Mental Health Index results, LifeWorks President and CEO Stephen Liptrap says he understands the mental health impact of the pandemic. “When it comes to the disruption and isolations of the pandemic, children’s mental health has been heavily impacted. Understandably, this is having a major impact on parents and families,” Liptrap says.
“As organizations consider the wellbeing support provided to employees, emphasis on parental needs and employee and family assistance programs is crucial,” adds the LifeWorks CEO. He believes that these resources are critical for ensuring that employees and their families thrive.
Get out of your head
Marilyn Grand’Maison urges employers that offer EAPs to promote these programs and clearly explain them to their employees. The solutions offered by these programs include family or individual counselling for children and parents, she adds. “This service can help them manage their stress, identify certain issues,” she says.
Grand’Maison says counselling can help parents get out of their own heads and help children take charge of their lives. “There is a lot of research that shows that short counselling sessions will help prevent problems from getting worse. We recommend that employers favour this solution.”
Employers have other adjustments to make, she adds. “Parents want more flexibility as to where and when they work. They have to pick up children from daycare, school, help with homework. Flexibility takes pressure off them, which helps them redirect their mental resources to better help their children,” Grand’Maison explains. According to her research, about one-third of Canadians believe that their employer’s flexible work arrangements have contributed most to their mental health.
Programs underused
Marilyn Grand’Maison is dismayed that too few employees use the assistance programs their employer offers. She mentions that the average utilization rate of EAP is between 3 per cent and 5 per cent. “When we see a utilization rate of 8 to 10 per cent in a group, we consider that excellent, but it’s still too low,” she says.
She points out that employee assistance programs are completely free of charge for employees. She says that LifeWorks provides EAP services to over 13,250 clients in Canada. Her statistics show that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of employers offer such programs.
Slight increase
In July 2022, the Mental Health Index score was at 65.0 points out of 100, up slightly from June’s score of 64.1. Canadian children are facing a range of negative impacts due to the events of the past two years, LifeWorks notes, to explain the rise in the index.
Quebec boasts the highest score. “The mental health of Quebecers has improved compared with 2020 and 2021,” says Marilyn Grand’Maison. While the mental health of Canadians is not at risk, according to the July index data, it is not optimal either. She adds that Canadians have come a long way, but the situation is still a cause for concern.
“People are showing resilience. They’ve found some coping mechanisms, but you have to keep your eyes open. We’re getting better, but we’re still vulnerable to future upheaval. We have to look at the progression of the index over the longer term. Generally, things are better in the summer. We will have to look at the impact of the start of the school year. It brings additional stress, just as inflation does now,” Grand’Maison notes.
