During the pandemic, the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and other initiatives gathered data on self-perceived mental health and mental health care needs. The data below show the effects of the pandemic on people’s self-perceived mental health, as well as some of the impacts of COVID-19 on visible minority and immigrant individuals.
Ontario census data show that COVID-19 had a more profound impact in areas with a higher concentration of visible minorities.
Source: Impacts of COVID-19 on immigrants and people designated as visible minorities (statcan.gc.ca)
As safety measures are relaxed, immigrants remain vigilant about COVID-19 infection. Compared with Canadian-born individuals, immigrants are more likely to take precautions.
Source: Impacts of COVID-19 on immigrants and people designated as visible minorities (statcan.gc.ca)
COVID-19 is not the only threat about which immigrants are wary. Statistics Canada data indicates that immigrants were twice as likely as Canadian-born individuals to report that they felt worried about unwanted or hostile behaviour (29% vs 17%). Immigrants also reported that they feared stigma based on racial identity: 42% of immigrants who reported worry about unwanted or hostile behaviour feared this, vs 9% of Canadian-born individuals worried about unwanted behaviour.
Source: Impacts of COVID-19 on immigrants and people designated as visible minorities (statcan.gc.ca)
Percentage of participants who reported experiencing discrimination or having been treated unfairly by others during the pandemic (August 2020)
Source: The Daily — Experiences of discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic (statcan.gc.ca)
In fall 2020, Statistics Canada gathered data on self-perceived mental health and mental health care needs during COVID-19. Visible and non-visible minority respondents reported higher than average percentages of positive mental health, with some ethnic groups reporting particularly good mental health.
All other visible minority groups did not have a statistically significant difference compared to the non-visible minority population.