Opinion: Racialized women have been the ones struggling the most to recover from the effects of the pandemic. Improving mental health cannot continue to be solely catered to those with the financial and social means.
Two years have passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and not surprisingly, it’s taken a big toll on our physical and mental health. Canadians, whether they suffered from COVID-19 or not, have reported feeling more anxious, depressed, isolated and mentally exhausted during this time. Much of it has stemmed from worries around contracting the virus, job losses and business shutdowns, the increased burden of child care due to school closures, and frequent lockdowns.
The report — “Who gets to heal? The negative mental health outcomes of COVID-19 on racialized working women'' — provides insights into how racialized women are coping two years into the pandemic and how their lives have changed. As one of the country’s largest Muslim organizations, we wanted to delve a little deeper and provide a voice to women who often aren’t given the space to do so.
This is echoed in our survey results: 62 per cent of women did not seek help for their mental health challenges. They cited lack of time, the cost of therapy and the stigma associated with mental health issues as the main reasons. While some turned to talking to friends and family to cope, others indulged in comfort eating and increased screen time .
It’s essential that the government and community stakeholders play a role in making mental health services more accessible to racialized women. This could mean an increase in funding to support more physical locations that provide services , subsidizing the addition of more trained mental health professionals, especially clinical licensed social workers; and offering more free or affordable therapy through OHIP, without long wait times.