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The IFP - Halton Hills | Thursday, July 22, 2021 | 4 Rent Soft Water Get your first three months for only 5m . _ SUBJECT TO CREDIT APPROVAL 5 Mountainview Rd N, Georgetown | (905) 877-6242 www.culligan.com | www.culliganrewards.ca IBNEWS SURVEY REVEALS PANDEMIC IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com A recent survey con- ducted by Halton Public Health paints a grim pic- ture! of! how the pandemicis is impacting local residents beyond Gi COVID-19 illness- es. "The results were con- cerning," said Halton med- ical officer of health Dr. Hamidah Meghani in dis- cussing the findings with regional council on July 7. by public health last Octo- ber and November in con- junction with two research institutions, examined the indirect impacts of C0. VID-19 among Halton resi- dents aged 18 and over. In addition to the men- tal health impacts, Megha- ni said 25 per cent of re- spondents indicated they increased their alcohol use during the pandemic. “This is especially trou- bling because in Halton, our pre-pandemic statis- tics showed that half of cause of the pandemic. "In addition to the direct isease impacts of CO- VID-19, the incidental im- pacts of the pandemic are an important consider- ation for Public health," said Meg] "While essential in con- trolling the spread of the virus, public health mea- sures such as physical dis- tancing and the closure of schools and non-essential health and well being of the populatio. The medical officer also noted that 17 per cent of surveyed residents indi- cated their household ha experiences food i inseeuri- ty in th something She: ‘elds ottects “Over half(52percentof Halton adults were already participants) reporte: consuming alcohol above their o overall mental health he guide- ing had wors- lines," she noted. ened “ae ‘ the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty one per cent said they were some- what or very concerned about their children's men- tal health.” The survey, conducted Over half, or 56 per cent, of the residents surveyed said they had experienced delays or cancellations for health services, and 42 per cent said they avoided seeking health services be- have experienced with in. come, during the pandem- Meghani said Halton Public Health will use the survey results and other data to prioritize Halton's recovery work over the next several months. theifp.ca FOODSTUFFS Specialty ¢ Bulk ¢ Health ‘OPEN KITCHEN RESTAURANT For a Small Fee/Week participate in this Foodie Feature linking your business or menu to a QR Code! (Gauss done wanay ois) Cell: 289-681-2041 ngibson @starmetrolandmedia.com Limited Space - Book Today!