Cycle 2: Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

February to May 2021
Data from the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health^Footnote 1

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a mental disorder that can happen after exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events, such as actual or threatened death, natural disasters, or violence.

Symptoms of PTSD include recurring and distressing memories, avoiding reminders of the event(s), and disturbed sleep.^Footnote 2

A diagnosis of PTSD requires a trained and licensed clinician. The Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health used a symptom-based screening tool to identify individuals with moderate to severe symptoms of PTSD (i.e., those who would screen positive for PTSD).^Footnote 3

The COVID-19 pandemic and PTSD

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted individuals, families, and communities in many ways.

Stressors from the pandemic may increase the number of Canadians experiencing symptoms of PTSD. Those who already had PTSD may experience more severe symptoms.

Symptoms of PTSD in Canadians 18 and over

63% of Canadians have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime.

7% of Canadians screened positive for PTSD.^Footnote 3 This prevalence was

higher among women (9%) than men (6%)
highest among those aged 18-34 (16% of women and 7% of men)
lowest among those 65 and over (2%)
higher among frontline workers^Footnote 4 (11%) than other Canadians (7%)

Impacts of COVID-19

Compared to those who did not screen positive for PTSD, those who screened positive were 2 to 3.5 times more likely to report being impacted by the pandemic in terms of:

physical health problems
death of a family member, friend, or colleague
difficulty meeting financial obligations/essential needs
challenges in personal relationships with household members

Mental health-related issues

Compared to those who did not screen positive for PTSD, those who screened positive were:

6-7 times more likely to report symptoms of anxiety or depression^Footnote 5 in the past 2 weeks
4 times more likely to report thoughts of suicide in their lifetime
3.5 times more likely to report increased cannabis use since the beginning of the pandemic
2 times more likely to report daily cannabis use in the past month
2 times more likely to report increased alcohol use since the beginning of the pandemic
1.5 times more likely to report heavy drinking^Footnote 6 in the past month

The Government of Canada recognizes the tremendous impact that PTSD has on individuals, families, communities, and workplaces. If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs mental health support, visit Wellness Together Canada for a wide range of resources.

References and notes

Footnote 1

Statistics Canada. Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH). 2021 (Retrieved December 2021). Available from: https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5330.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

American Psychiatric Association. Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). 202213 (Retrieved AugustFebruary 20221). Available from: https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.x07_Trauma_and_Stressor_Related_Disorders

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Footnote 3

Individuals screened positive for PTSD if they had a total score of ≥33 on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Screening positive does not necessarily indicate a diagnosis. Available from: www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/adult-sr/ptsd-checklist.asp.

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Footnote 4

A frontline worker was defined as “an individual who has the potential to come in direct contact with COVID-19 by assisting those who have been diagnosed with the virus”. Examples provided were “police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses or doctors.”

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Footnote 5

Moderate to severe anxiety and depression were represented by scores of ≥10 on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Scores on these screening tools do not necessarily indicate a diagnosis.

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Footnote 6

Heavy drinking was defined as 4+ alcoholic drinks for women and 5+ alcoholic drinks for men in one sitting.

Return to footnote 6 referrer

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Date modified:: 2022-10-19

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