Mental Health Resources Related to COVID-19

Taking Care of Your Mental and Physical Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Government of Canada This compilation of resources, available in English and French, includes links to various mental health resources, as well as instructions on how to access support workers, social workers, psychologists and other professionals. It also includes strategies for maintaining emotional and psychological wellness during the pandemic, as well as a portal to province/territory-specific resources.

 

Mental health and COVID-19 for Public Servants – Government of Canada This compilation of resources, available in English and French, includes links to psychological as well as financial resources for public servants. Many featured resources may also prove useful to essential workers and the general public.

 

Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic – CAMH This compilation of resources, created by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, is available in English and in French, and features resources for public servants and the general public related to stress, anxiety, stigma, and isolation.

 

COVID-19 National Survey Dashboard – CAMH This interactive dashboard is based on national surveys regarding the mental health and substance use impacts of COVID-19. Selected findings are based on online survey responses collected between May 8 and 12, 2020, from 1,005 English-speaking Canadians ages 18 and older, reflecting a distribution of age, gender, and location. Summary of key findings available in English and French here.

Mental Health and COVID-19 – Ottawa Public Health This compilation of resources, created by Ottawa Public Health and available in English and French, features an extensive list of mental health resources for the general public, including telephone, text, and online chat services. It also features links geared specifically toward employees and employers facing mental health challenges in the context of COVID-19, as well as the opportunity to participate in a psychological survey to better understand the effects of the pandemic on everyday life.

 

Stress and Anxiety

Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Individuals and Communities

This CAMH website provides resources for Stress and Anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis:

It is normal to feel anxious and afraid while we deal with the effects of this pandemic. We know this situation is stressful for everyone; people living with mental illness and addictions may be finding it especially difficult to cope. If you or someone you know is struggling, the resources on this site are here to support you. Remember: no matter where you are or what you’re going through, you don’t have to go through it alone.”

How to know if you are stressed and what you can do to manage:

This handbook from the Harvard School of Public Health provides information on how to know if you are stressed and what you can do to manage during this difficult time.

COVID-19 has produced a lot of uncertainty. Daily we are being faced with questions about how to best keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, as well as how to manage changes in our routines. First, know it is normal to feel stressed! Fear, worry, and uncertainty about your own health status, as well as that of your loved ones, is common. The purpose of this handout is to provide information on how to know if you are stressed and what you can do to manage during this difficult time

 

 

Coping with Loss, Grief and Mourning

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, communities are looking to build the “next normal.” At the same time, we are individually and collectively dealing with tremendous loss and grief.

The experience of loss is one of the hardest things we can face. It may involve losing a loved one or a friend, a job, a routine, a hobby, or anything else that has left our lives. One of the most distressing things about the pandemic is the amount of loss that many of us need to process.

 

 

Multilingual Resources for Diverse Communities During COVID-19

This page from the Ottawa Public Health provides accurate, reliable and up-to-date COVID-19 resources to our local diverse communities in many languages. Some are translations of resources developed by Ottawa Public Health. Others are resources from provincial or federal organizations. These resources add to the information on the OPH COVID-19 website.

Other Information Available in Multiple Languages (provided by Santé Montreal, date: 14 May 2020)

 

American Sign Language

 

 

Information about Stress, Anxiety and Depression in French

 

 

Multilingual Mental Health Videos

The following short videos provide information about what you can do to cope and be more resilient in multiple languages, including English, French, Chinese, Arabic, and Somali.

 

 

National Resources on Mental Health

Ontario: Ottawa

If you are in crisis, please contact the Mental Health Crisis Line (24 hours a day/7 days a week) at 613-722-6914 or if outside Ottawa toll-free at 1-866-996-0991.

If you (or your child) are experiencing thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, please call 9-1-1.

Get Help Now: staying connected to each other is an important part of protecting mental health. Check out the “Let’s Stay Connected” resource for ideas!

Printable version of the Mental Health and COVID-19 Resource List. [PDF 262KB]

 

Telephone, text and chat mental health Services

Information on how to cope with and reduce stress and anxiety, how to talk to your children about COVID-19, and how to support yourself as well as your loved ones’ mental health

Mental Health Information for Specific Groups and Communities

Immigrants and Newcomers

  • Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization Counselling Services (OCISO)
  • Reaching IN… Reaching OUTThis is a series of resources for parents to teach their children resilience and is available in multiple languages.
  • Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre
  • counsellingconnect.org
  • Bounce Back – Coaching + workbooks are available in English, French, Arabic, Farsi, Traditional Chinese and Spanish. Smaller format booklets are available in English, French, Punjabi, Traditional and Simplified Chinese. Coaching is also available in many other languages, but you will need to have a basic English reading level to work through the workbooks.
    • Videos are available in English, French, Arabic, Farsi, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi.
  • Walk-in Counselling Clinics – 613-755-2277 – No referral is required for the Walk-In Counselling Clinic. You will be assisted, with no appointment, on a first-come, first-serve basis during our Walk-In Counselling Clinic hours.
    • The Walk-in Counselling Clinic offers counselling services in English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Somali, Cantonese and Mandarin at a variety of different locations.

 

Children and Families

Children need to be reassured in a way that is age appropriate. Click here for some tips on how to talk to your children and family

Educational Resources for Children

A variety of optional resources to help students learn, create, and have fun will remain available to children and their parents on the Open School website, at ecoleouverte.ca (In French only). Students can choose their own path, based on their grade and skill level, with the help of a friend or family member, if necessary. New activities are added to this website regularly. Educational kits with suggested activities for each subject are also made available to students and parents.

In April, WHO and partners released My Hero is You, how kids can fight COVID-19! A storybook for 6-11 year-olds explaining how children can protect themselves, their families and friends from coronavirus and how to manage difficult emotions when confronted with a new and rapidly changing reality. The book has been translated into dozens of languages (it is now available in 131!), and has reached many thousands of children through numerous video and audio adaptations.
We have produced a short video showing how this book has become a global phenomenon. Watch it here
For a more comprehensive list of the adaptations, click here. For a full list of the book’s translation in a variety of languages, click here.
 

Inuit, First Nations, and Metis

LGBTQ+ & Trans Individuals

 

Employee Resources

 

Employer Resources

Protecting your employees’ mental health while working from home

 

During COVID-19 many workplaces have made significant changes to how they work. For some workplaces, this means having employees working from home. Teleworking allows employees to be productive and continue to contribute to their employer. However, working from home can be challenging for some. Many employees may not have a designated office space or the tools and resources they need to work from home. Many employees will be balancing childcare or other caregiver roles and responsibilities. Still others might find themselves working at home with no interaction with any of their loved ones. Now, more than ever is the time to protect your employees’ mental health and safety.

Managing Through COVID-19 An Employer’s Guide.: Recommendations to protect the mental health and safety of employees and workplaces.

Health Care Workers

The Ministry of Health and Ontario Health partnered with five hospitals to provide services for frontline health care workers. Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible to self-refer for psychotherapy and psychiatric services:

• You are a health care worker in Ontario; • You are impacted by stress related to COVID-19; and, • You require mental health and/or addictions support.

Visit COVID-19: Get support if you are a health care worker.

 

Digital Tools

Aller mieux à ma façon [Feeling better my way] is a French-language digital self-management tool for emotional health. If you are experiencing difficulties due to stress, anxiety or distress, the tool can help improve your well-being by identifying practical actions for you to put in place that are tailor-made for your situation. Since you know yourself better than anyone else, you can pursue your goals at your pace, making your own choices and relying on your strengths. Note that the tool is not a substitute for conventional therapy such as psychotherapy or medication.

For more information or to start self-managing your emotional health, visit the allermieux.criusmm.net (available in French and English) website.

The Aller mieux à ma façon tool was developed by the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, the Association québécoise en soutien aux personnes souffrant de troubles anxieux, dépressifs ou bipolaires – REVIVRE and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Developed with input from an expert committee made up of rehabilitation professionals, peer helpers, clinicians from institutional and community settings and researchers, the tool has been scientifically validated.

 

Here are some guidelines on what to do once you’ve been vaccinated:

Now That You’re Vaccinated