A new survey reveals that five years after COVID-19 turned our lives upside down, Ontario residents are still grappling with harmful drinking habits and declining mental health linked to the pandemic
The pandemic is long over, but the negative effects still linger.
A new survey reveals that five years after COVID-19 turned our lives upside down, people in Ontario are struggling more than ever when it comes to harmful drinking habits and declining mental health.
Released this week by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the Monitor Report is an ongoing survey that’s been conducted every year since 1977, measuring various substance use and mental health trends among Ontario adults.
In this year’s edition, the comparisons between pre- and post-pandemic are stark.
In 2019, for example, the number of people reporting symptoms of alcohol dependence was 7.4 per cent. In 2025, it had jumped to 12.1 per cent.
The percentage of adults with fair or poor self-rated mental health also increased, from 26.2 per cent in 2020 to 29 per cent last year.
Dr. Leslie Buckley, Chief of the Addictions Division at CAMH, was a guest this week on our Closer Look podcast. She offered advice on how people can improve their mental health, and where they can turn if they need help.Â
You can watch the full episode HERE.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse and want help, click HERE for details about Ontario’s rapid access addiction medicine (RAAM) clinics. More information from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health can be found HERE.​
Podcast hosts Scott Sexsmith (left) and Michael Friscolanti, Editor-in-Chief of Village Media.
Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.
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Podcast hosts Scott Sexsmith (left) and Michael Friscolanti, Editor-in-Chief of Village Media.
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