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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/pandemic-canadians-poll-attitude-1.6378018
COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the worst in people, pulled Canadians
further apart, survey suggests
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Findings based on survey carried out by the Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with CBC
Mark Gollom · CBC News · Posted: Mar 10, 2022 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: March 10
Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has pulled Canadians further apart,
brought out the worst in people and weakened their compassion for one
another, according to the findings of a new survey. (Rob Kruk/Radio-Canada)
Two years of living through the COVID-19 pandemic has left Canadians in
a dour mood, with the majority saying the ordeal has significantly
disrupted their lives, pulled Canadians further apart, brought out the
worst in people and weakened their compassion for one another.
These are the findings of a new survey, carried out by the Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with CBC, which coincide with the two-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the worldwide
outbreaks of COVID-19 a pandemic.
How disagreements about COVID-19 have driven families, friends apart
The online survey polled a representative randomized sample of 2,550
Canadians 18 and over between March 1 to 4 of this year. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of
error of +/- two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
'Change for the worse'
"What we did is we asked Canadians to make their own assessments of how
they see things changing," said Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute. "Did they change over the last two years?
"And there are some pretty significant takeaways around negative
perceptions over that change. If there has been change, it's been change
for the worse."
There were some positive findings. For example, a large majority of
Canadians (70 per cent) said they are thankful to be living in Canada
during the pandemic.
The survey also suggested that the pandemic has made most Canadians
re-evaluate their priorities, with just over 80 per cent saying it has
made them reflect on what is really important in their lives. And just
under half said they have since made significant positive lifestyle changes.
But as mandates begin lifting, hospitalizations drop and Canadians
emerge from what may be the worst of the pandemic, the survey findings
reveal a bleak assessment of the past two years, and in some categories,
show that Canadians have a negative view of their fellow citizens.
About 41 per cent of Canadians say that since the pandemic, "life
overall" is worse, compared to 23 per cent who say it is better.
Nearly half of those surveyed (47 per cent), said the overall impact of
the last two years has been more bad than good, which includes one in 10
people who said these were the worst years of their lives.
Almost half (47 per cent) said the pandemic disrupted their lives in a "significant" way, and one in 10 described that disruption as "severe."
That disruption was felt most significantly by around two-thirds of men
and women aged 18 to 34, compared to about half for those over the age
of 54. Across the country, around 60 per cent of those surveyed in
Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan and nearly two thirds of those
surveyed in Ontario said the pandemic significantly or severely altered
their lives.
By several measures, the overall personal impact on Canadians has been
more negative than positive, the survey found.
Physical, mental health decline
When asked whether their household financial situation is worse now — 37
per cent agreed, compared to 30 per cent who said it was better. But
more than half said their physical and mental health is worse.
Relationships with friends and family took a significant hit, with 39
per cent saying they are worse, compared to 14 per cent who said they
are better.
The pandemic disrupted the lives of Canadians in other ways as well.
Seven in 10 Canadians had to postpone travel at some point during the
past two years. Meanwhile, almost half were forced to delay medical appointments, while one-quarter delayed a more serious medical procedure
or surgery, the survey found.
The pandemic also struck close to home for the majority of Canadians,
with more than half (54 per cent) saying a close friend or family member
has been infected with the virus. One-third said an immediate family
member caught COVID-19 and one in five people were personally infected.
Meanwhile, most Canadians have little faith in how effectively the
country would handle another pandemic, with 70 per cent saying Canada
will struggle just as much if there is another global illness.
Perhaps the pandemic's most significant impact on Canadian attitudes,
according to the survey, is how it has left a vast majority with a
pessimistic outlook on society as a whole.
Pandemic 'pulled people further apart'
Four out of five of those surveyed agreed that the pandemic has "pulled
people further apart." And about the same number believe "the pandemic
has brought out the worst in people."
Meanwhile, just over 60 per cent of those surveyed said the level of
compassion Canadians have for one another is "weaker."
Kurl said the results of the survey reveal a marked difference in the
attitudes of Canadians over this two-year span.
She said that according to data, Canadians had an absolute sense of
common purpose at the onset of the pandemic, and said that people really approved of what they were being asked to do.
"When we see 80 plus per cent of people saying that the pandemic has
pulled people further apart rather than brought them together, when we
hear that almost the same number say that the pandemic has brought out
the worst in people instead of the best in people, you really start to
see that degradation, that breakdown of whatever sense of social
cohesion we thought we might have felt this time two years ago."
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