(Clara Pasieka/ CBC News) — Poor access to mental health supports and cultural stigmas are holding many racialized women back from healing during the pandemic, a new study has found.
The research found the majority of respondents were already struggling with mental health before COVID-19 struck and service providers now can’t keep up with the increased demand.
“Just focusing on your mental health can be a luxury and a privilege for some people, and that can largely fail to meet the needs of marginalized groups,” said Grace Barakat, a sociology PhD candidate at Toronto’s York University who led the study
The research was done in partnership with Islamic Relief, a Toronto-based charity that was seeing a rising number of people seeking help for mental health issues during the pandemic. Many respondents spent long hours juggling long commutes and family responsibilities. Many had little or no health benefits, which prevented them from getting the care they needed, Barakat says. (…)