Thursday, January 13th 2022

Guest: Saunia Ahmad, clinical psychologist and director of the Toronto Psychology Clinic

The surge in depression and other mental health issues in the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has been well-documented by health care professionals. It is OK to not be OK. Mental health experts say it is normal to be feeling increased levels of anxiety and stress as government restrictions, public health measures and the cost of COVID linger far longer than any of us expected. So, in the midst of the current unpredictability of our lives and the futility of any plans, is there a way to get through this, build up our coping mechanisms and try to practise self-care? Saunia Ahmad, a clinical health psychologist and director of the Toronto Psychology Clinic, joins "This Matters" to help upgrade our mental health tool box.

If you need help, or just someone to talk to: Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

Wednesday, January 12th 2022

Guest: Wendy Long, founder of Afghan-Canadian Interpreters

When Canadian forces were deployed in Afghanistan, they relied on local Afghans to help them navigate a dangerous conflict zone, the unfamiliarity of geography, language and culture. But since last year, after the U.S.-led NATO withdrawal and Taliban occupation of Afghanistan, those who risked their lives to help the coalition forces — including Canadians — are at risk of facing violent retribution. So far, less than a 10th of the 40,000 Afghans the government pledged to bring in to Canada have arrived. Wendy Long is the founder of Afghan-Canadian Interpreters, an organization that helps Afghans escape and settle in Canada. She joins “This Matters” to explain further.

Tuesday, January 11th 2022

Guest: Kris Rushowy, Queen's Park Reporter at the Star

With the Omicron variant raging throughout the province, the government has decided to hold firm and reopen schools on Jan. 17. The decision has split many parents. Some are happy schools are going to reopen quickly, while others are concerned they may not be safe. The government says it is taking measures to ensure safety for kids, but outbreaks and staff shortages are likely with the Omicron variant's increased transmissibility. Are open schools better than the homebound alternative? That's the question every parent of school age children in the province is wrestling with.

Monday, January 10th 2022

Guest: Birgit Umaigba, an ICU/ER nurse based in Toronto

The ongoing wave of the Omicron variant is straining Ontario’s hospitals to a breaking point. At least two hospitals in the GTA do not enough nurses to take care of sick patients and recently declared a Code Orange, a rare move that means hard choices for health care workers about who gets care and who does not. The nursing shortage has been inching its way into hospitals across Canada for years, and now COVID-19-related burnout and nurses walking off the job are adding to it. Toronto-based ICU nurse Birgit Umaigba joins “This Matters” to give us a glimpse of the challenges inside the profession.

Friday, January 7th 2022

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter for the Star

A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau has done an analysis of key mental health indicators for First Nations youth, including antidepressant prescriptions, suicide attempts, self-reported disorders and access to support, revealing a strained system of care failing to meet the needs of desperate young people. As Indigenous youth in Canada suffer from some of the highest rates of suicide in the world, culturally relevant counselling and community healing practises are few and hard to access. Star reporter Robert Cribb headed the Toronto Star series Generation Distress and joins “This Matters” to explain how mental health support tailored to Indigenous culture remains out of reach for youth in crisis and how the system is failing them.