Demand for mental health services climb as 'Blue Monday' nears

With the bustle of the holiday season over and ‘Blue Monday’ looming one week away, mental health care professionals are encouraging people to focus on feeling good.

‘Blue Monday,’ typically falls on the third Monday of January and is considered to be the saddest day of the year.

“We know a lot of individuals are affected by seasonal affective disorder,” said Kim Willis, director of communications and mental health promotion with the Windsor-Essex branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

“Our days are shorter, it gets darker earlier and it’s cold, it’s dreary. January seems really long, so it really can have an impact on an individual’s mental health,” Willis explained. “And we’re coming out of the holidays when there's all the hoopla and lots of engagement and parties and socialization. So you're feeling that void and then you have bills. So it's like the perfect storm for when your mental health might not be in the best shape.”

Willis said demand for mental health programs in Windsor-Essex jumped 20 per cent year over year, saying the pandemic definitely had an impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

“Individuals are reaching out and seeking help. I think that's a good sign that those individuals are coming forward. And we do have a lot of great programs in our community. So whether it's at CMHA or some of our other partners, there are services available.” 

Willis continued, “The worst thing you can do is isolate yourself and stay inside. So get outdoors get some of that fresh air and seek opportunities to connect with others. Get yourself out and involved. I think that's one of the things we're all lacking coming out of the pandemic is that sense of community and belonging. We recently started a Wellness and Recovery College here at CMHA. So these are peer driven programs that are free of charge for anyone. So seeking out those opportunities.” 

Willis also noted there’s a Crisis and Wellness Centre on Ouellette Avenue that individuals can access seven day a week along with a Youth Wellness Hub for people 12-25 free of charge.

Willis added, “Mental health is health. Just like our physical health, we need to do our tune-ups and check-ins and practice those things regularly.”

Local CMHA supportive house and case manager Marcel Ugho told CTV News that serious mental health illnesses over the last two years have been exacerbated post-pandemic.

“We're seeing an increase in terms of worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar, schizophrenia, and all of that is in relation to you know, that isolation piece,” Ugho said. “Individuals not really getting the help they need, you know, feeling like they're on an island.”

Ugho said the best thing anyone can do is talk.

“We have a couple of things in our back pocket that we're trying to incorporate, such as different activities, you know, connecting to other stakeholders in the community that could provide that holistic care they need. Sometimes it's kind of like a recreational service that they need to apply to the situation. Right? It depends on the individual. It depends on where they're at, and we meet them where they're at.”