It’s CMHA Mental Health Week. Let’s #GetReal about how to help. Every May for the last 71 years, Canadians in communities, schools, workplaces and the House of Commons have rallied around CMHA Mental Health Week.
Just as Canadians are experiencing pandemic fatigue after two long years, research suggests that Canadians may also be experiencing “empathy fatigue.” The latest survey conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and UBC researchers, Assessing the Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health, shows that feelings of empathy have eroded over the course of the pandemic, with only 13% of Canadians feeling empathetic, down markedly since the onset of the pandemic (from 23%).
Empathy is the ability to understand another’s perspective and feelings.
“The decline in empathy that we are seeing is concerning,” says Margaret Eaton, National CEO, CMHA. “If we are to resolve our conflicts in relationships, in society and globally, we need to understand one another, even when we don’t agree.”
The CMHA/UBC survey also reveals that 37% of Canadians are as worried about lost social connections (37%) and being separated from friends and family (39%) as they are about getting sick with COVID (39%). Read more from Canadian Mental Health Association…
Find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week for 2022…