‘Anxiety and depression are increasing’: Alberta doctor sees spike in mental health visits
An Alberta family doctor says he is seeing as many as 12 patients a day suffering with mental health challenges when he used to see just one or two a day in 2019.
Dr. Mukarram A. Zaidi, a family physician in Calgary, says a number of factors, including the pandemic, are contributing to a huge spike in anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies.
“I don’t have concrete numbers but I’m seeing more and more patients with depression,” he told Global News.
Zaidi said many people have lost their jobs and most of those who haven’t are working from home.
We used to socialize after work, go out and about on the weekend, go out for dinner, workout and catch up with family and friends.
Additionally, many Albertans live in housing that doesn’t have a dedicated space either for work or for working out and staying active.
“A lot of people are working from their basement,” Zaidi said. “Many of patients live in apartments and can’t work out.
“Not socializing with one another is a huge deal. Not being allowed to have family visit you… it’s skyrocketed depression in younger patients that I see.”
The big increase in the number of patients suffering from severe depression is what led Zaidi to share a message on Twitter earlier this week.
Zaidi believes in addition to the economy and the pandemic, political rhetoric is exacerbating the stress Albertans — both patients and physicians — are feeling.