Canadians feeling less empathetic, says Canadian Mental Health Association survey
CBC
Canadians are feeling less empathetic due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and researchers at the University of British Columbia.
In Ontario, the organization said 12 per cent of people reported feelings of empathy in their latest survey, compared to 26 per cent of people at the start of the pandemic.
"A key piece of empathy is to be able to identify someone else's feelings," said Michaela Penwarden-Watson, a mental health educator with CMHA Sudbury/Manitoulin.
"You need to be able to identify your own feelings. So when we can walk in other people's shoes, we're better able to help and support them."
In addition to feeling less empathetic, Penwarden-Watson said 39 per cent of Ontarians the CMHA surveyed reported their mental health has gotten worse since the start of the pandemic.
For Mental Health Week, which runs from May 2 to May 8, the CMHA has made empathy a cornerstone of its national programming with a number of events meant to foster more empathy in people.
"Empathy is essential not only for building positive and healthy relationships, but also for reducing divisions between people, and in our communities," said Emily Jenkins, University of British Columbia professor who co-led the research with the CMHA around Canadadians' mental health.
"And the good news is, it is an emotional response that can be cultivated."
