According to researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, doctors in Saskatchewan saw the rate of depression and anxiety climb within their ranks while they treated patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The work, done by Dr. Camelia Adams, was published in an article by the University of Saskatchewan Thursday. 

This past April, Dr. Adams had sent a questionnaire to every doctor in the province and received 118 responses. Of the responses received, 70 percent indicated their mental health was worse as a result of the pandemic. More than a third of the respondents reported symptoms of major depressive disorder, almost a third reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and all reported longer working hours. 

Over 30 percent of the respondents stated they were unable to visit family or friends as a result of the pandemic, and seven percent of Saskatchewan physicians lost a loved one due to the virus.  

For Adams there was also one other statistic that stood out – just one of the 118 physicians reported seeking help with their mental health. 

Adams has been sharing her findings with the province’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

You can read more, as well as listen to a podcast about the research, on the University of Saskatchewan website.