An Examination of The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Substance Use of Social Minorities in Canada

Abstract

COVID-19 outbreak in Canada has resulted the implementation of public health mitigation laws regarding self-isolation, country-wide lockdowns, and closure of public services to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The application of these public health policies facilitated unintended consequences and side effects that would eventually intensify the already existing mental health issues and substance abuse prevalent amongst these vulnerable populations. People who use drugs (PWUD), wellness service providers, households with young children, and LGBTQ2+ people have reported their concerns for either food security, financial obstacles including the lack of job guarantee, limited access to public resources, and the ongoing opioid crisis in Canada that collided with the pandemic. These concerns have contributed greatly to the positive feedback cycle between the increasing use of substance including alcohol, cannabis, and opioids, and deteriorating mental health issues such as anxiety, post-traumatic syndrome, and depression. This study aims to discuss and compile the responses of social minorities in Canada regarding the use of substances and mental health conditions.