Positive mental health and perceived change in mental health among adults in Canada during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: Canadian surveys from spring/summer 2020 suggest the prevalence of some positive mental health (PMH) outcomes have declined compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, less is known about the state of PMH during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We compared adults' self-rated mental health (SRMH), community belonging and life satisfaction in Fall 2020 versus 2019 in the overall population and across sociodemographic characteristics using cross-sectional data from the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (September-December, 2020) and the 2019 Canadian Community Health Survey. We also conducted regression analyses to examine which sociodemographic factors were associated with reporting in Fall 2020 that one's mental health was about the same or better compared to before the pandemic. Results: Fewer adults reported high SRMH in Fall 2020 (59.95%) than in 2019 (66.71%) and fewer reported high community belonging in Fall 2020 (63.64%) than in 2019 (68.42%). Rated from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied), average life satisfaction was lower in Fall 2020 (7.19) than in 2019 (8.08). Females, those aged under 65 years, those living in a population centre, and those absent from work due to COVID-19 had lower odds of reporting that their mental health was about the same or better in Fall 2020. Conclusion: The PMH of adults was lower during the pandemic's second wave. However, the majority of individuals still reported high SRMH and community belonging. The findings identify certain sociodemographic groups whose mental health appears to have been more negatively impacted by the pandemic. Continued surveillance is important in ensuring mental health builds back better and stronger in Canada after the pandemic.