Postpartum mental health visits spiked by more than 25% in pandemic

Monday, June 07, 2021

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Postpartum mental health visits spiked by more than 25% in pandemic

Just-published Canadian research suggests the pandemic strain on new mothers has translated into more postpartum individuals seeking mental health support after giving birth.

The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal by a team of researchers in Toronto, found month-by-month mental health visits for postpartum people in Ontario spiked by an average of more than 25 per cent throughout much of 2020 compared to previous years.

The research team was led by Dr. Simone Vigod, chief of psychiatry at Women's College Hospital and senior adjunct scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, a health information non-profit. They looked at demographic data and mental health visits for more than 137,000 people in Ontario during the postpartum period from March through November 2020.

"We're talking about a massive amount of increased need," Vigod told CBC News. "People going to their doctors, receiving a diagnosis and probably requiring treatment."

And while her team's findings focused on one province, she expects there may be similar trends in other regions where new parents had to endure months of isolation and limited postpartum support from extended family and friends.

"Health systems should focus proactively on patients from high-risk groups, monitor waiting lists for care, and explore creative solutions to expand system capacity, with special attention to postpartum patients who may be experiencing barriers to care," Vigod and her research team advised.

More on COVID-19

Race between vaccines and variants is back on as B.1.617 takes hold in Canada.

Que., Ont. and Sask. reported lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in months this weekend.

Ryerson statue toppled, beheaded

(Evan Mitsui/CBC)

A statue of Egerton Ryerson was toppled and beheaded Sunday evening following a demonstration in downtown Toronto. There have been calls from Indigenous professors and students to change Ryerson University's name and remove his statue from campus for his role in the creation of Canada's residential school system. Read more about the demonstration here.

In brief

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to drive an increase in immigration fraud and human smuggling as desperate migrants try to get into Canada, says a strategic intelligence report prepared by the Canada Border Services Agency. The report warns that economic downturns and increased poverty abroad caused by the pandemic will prompt more people to resort to irregular methods to come to Canada. The pandemic is likely to increase both the number of people seeking refugee status in Canada and the number of economic migrants pretending to be refugees, the report warns. Read more about the report here.

Brayden Bushby, convicted of manslaughter in the 2017 death of Barbara Kentner of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, will be sentenced this morning in Thunder Bay, Ont. Bushby threw a metal trailer hitch from a moving car, striking the 33-year-old Indigenous mother in the abdomen while she was on an evening walk with her sister in a residential neighbourhood. Kentner died several months later. Crown lawyers, who asked for a sentence of eight to 12 years in jail, argued Bushby's actions were motivated by a bias and prejudice toward women. They did not argue the actions were motivated by racial prejudice. Defence lawyers for Bushby said a lengthy sentence would be "too crushing" and suggested, in turn, a four-year term. Read more about the sentencing and calls for safety for Indigenous women and girls here.

The Weeknd took home artist of the year and album of the year at the 50th annual Juno Awards on Sunday. The R&B singer, with five wins, was the only act at this year's Junos to win more than a single award. The night kicked off with a performance by Justin Bieber and also featured a tribute to 30 years of hip hop in Canada with a performance by Maestro Fresh Wes, NAV, Kardinall Offishall and more. The show also included Jann Arden's induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and a rare performance by the surviving members of The Tragically Hip. Read and watch highlights from the ceremony here.

Despite pandemic and travel restrictions still in place in several provinces, Canada's major airlines are advertising discounted domestic flights to entice Canadians to start flying again. For instance, Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat were all offering one-way flights from Calgary to Toronto for a little over $100. Meanwhile, ultra low-cost carrier Flair Airlines is expanding its routes across Canada by adding service to several more cities, including Halifax, Saint John, Charlottetown and Ottawa. The major airlines' cheap airfares won't last for long, predicts Frederic Dimanche, director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University in Toronto. Dimanche said he believes that airlines have dropped their prices for two reasons: to make some quick cash after travel plummeted during the pandemic and to get Canadians to warm up to the idea of returning to air travel. Read more about the flights, and the risks, here.

The Montreal Canadiens are, improbably, one win away from the final four in this year's NHL playoffs. The Habs, the team with the worst record to qualify for the playoffs, defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-1 in Montreal on Sunday night, to take a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven series. Montreal welcomed another 2,500 towel-waving fans on a steamy spring evening after hosting the first NHL crowd in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic for Game 6 against Toronto. Read more about the game here.

Now here's some good news to start your Monday: Six years, a new heart, and a battle with cancer later, Amanda Saunders of Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L., has graduated from Memorial University. "I never thought that at 21 years old I would need a heart transplant, and at 22 going into 23 I would be living with blood cancer, and going through cancer treatment, all during a COVID-19 pandemic," Saunders told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning. "My journey through university was one for the books." Through all of her obstacles, Saunders stuck with her degree. She took courses through her cancer treatment, and brought her computer with her to complete research. She said it served as the best distraction for her while recovering. "I was given a second chance at life for a reason. Why not go with that and put trust and faith into that idea?" she said. Read more about Saunders's perseverance here.

Death-bed COVID denial in southern Manitoba

Dr. Ganesan Abbu says he sees a "disproportionate number of people who are COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers" being admitted to his southern Manitoba hospital.

The mayor of nearby Morden, Brandon Burley, says he feels it, too, and he's even lost good friends over the issue. Today, the two explain the toll they're seeing from these kinds of attitudes.

Listen to today's episode

Today in history: June 7

1917: Allied engineers, many of them Canadians, win their greatest victory of the First World War at Messines, Belgium. They use underground explosives to destroy the German trench system, allowing infantry to capture a ridge overlooking the town of Ypres in about three hours.

1966: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada votes in favour of the ordination of women ministers.

2002: The Quebec government extends full parental rights to homosexual couples. It is the first time in Canada that gay and lesbian couples are legally recognized as the legitimate parents of the children they raise.

2018: Doug Ford and his PC Party ride a populist wave to a majority victory in the Ontario election, ending 15 years of scandal-plagued Liberal rule.