Morneau Shepell  released its monthly Mental Health Index™ report, showing a consistent negative mental health score for the fifth consecutive month and a decline from July’s score of -10. The findings indicate that Canadians’ mental health continues to be affected by the impact of COVID-19, including concerns about a second wave, ongoing economic uncertainties, and the added concern of students returning to school.

The Mental Health Index™ score is -11. The score measures the improvement or decline in mental health from the pre-2020 benchmark of 75. The Mental Health Index™ also tracks sub-scores against the benchmark, measuring the risk of anxiety (-12.9), depression (-12.7), optimism (-12.7), isolation (-12.1) and work productivity (-11.1). All sub-scores worsened when compared to the improvements seen the previous month, excluding work productivity, which remains unchanged.

The results show that while the first few months of the pandemic brought forward many questions about employment and financial security, the paradigm has now shifted. Canadians have begun to regain some control in areas that were initially challenging and instead, are now facing increasing insecurities in their day-to-day life as restrictions ease across the country and isolated outbreaks occur. Despite respondents saving more and feeling more in control over finances, the most commonly reported concern of Canadians remains the pandemic’s ongoing impact on finances and the economy (49 per cent).