“We are seeing a record number of youth coming through our doors on a regular basis,” said Cyndy Forsyth, executive director of the Grove. “CMHA Waterloo Wellington is seeing a record number of people on their waiting lists. In order for politicians to understand what is going on on the ground, they need to hear from people.”
Both organizations say demand for mental health services has increased as pandemic measures began to ease. They say four out of five youths are currently struggling with mental health. “Demand for mental health and wellness support for all ages has increased by 40 per cent compared to pre-COVID-19 volumes,” Forsyth said. “We really need to look at what this pandemic as done for wellness in our community and how we can really address it.”“The more we are involved, the more people that are connected, the more people that are aware of the concerns, we would build a stronger community in order to support our children, youth, and families across the board,” Sibbilin said.
First get real on the vaccine mandates then maybe their mental health will return to normal