BounceBack Program Helps Alleviate Pandemic Stress, Anxiety And Depression

If you have felt the COVID - 19 pandemic has caused a lot of stress, depression and anxiety in a lot of people’s loves but there might be a way to relieve these pressures many have faced through a new on-line program.

Called BounceBack the free on-line program is designed to alleviate what many people are feeling because of the unknown nature of the pandemic and give them a better mental outlook about what is happening around them says Phyllis O’Connor, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). The free program is a partnership between the CMHA and Bell Let’s Talk.

The pandemic has taken its toll on many people and nobody is immune from it, O’Connor said in an interview with MJ Independent.

“Actually it has had a serious effect upon people’s mental health,” she said. “Two out of five people or 37 percent report worse mental heath since the beginning of the pandemic. The numbers are 54 percent who had to isolate said their mental health was impacted. It has effected a lot of people.”

The number of people who thought about suicide because of the pandemic is five percent whereas for those who had to quarantine for being close to someone who had COVID - 19 the figures jump to 28 percent.

“It is the thought of not knowing. It is the stress of being quarantined,” she said.

Even the CMHA has experienced the effects the pandemic is having on people’s mental health.

“Even in the calls and things we are getting we are having a huge increase due to and the stress people are experiencing due to the pandemic…much of it is all of the uncertainty of people asking when is it all going to end,” O’Connor said.

The first lockdown and the potential of a second lock down or new restrictions people must face takes a toll on people’s mental health.

“All of the restrictions have had a huge impact on people’s mental health as they are having freedoms taken away,” O’Connor said.

To help relieve the anxiety, stress and mild depression the CMHA and Bell Let’s Talk have teamed up to present the BounceBack program nationally.

Previously only available in BC, Manitoba and Ontario the program has had a high proven degree of success.

“They have had a huge success with it,” O’Connor said, adding “They studied how effective the program is and they found 50 percent of participants said they had seem improvements (in their mental health) before they finished 50 percent of the courses.”

Designed for people 15 year of age and up the on-line course is for anyone who is experiencing mild to moderate depression and it helps to deal with it.

Although it is an on-line course all participants are matched up with a coach who assists them through their recovery journey. The program is designed to help build skills to help participants build their mental health.

The cost of BounceBack is 100 percent free it only costs participants their time to be part of the program.

For more information on BounceBack click here.

For additional information the pandemic has had on people’s mental health and its effect on the economic recovery click here.