A local Peer Support Nova Scotia coordinator says the pandemic has reduced access to mental health services while, at the same time, increasing the need.
Korene Pitts says there’s especially limited access to early care with non-essential medical services reduced.
Pitts tells The Hawk Morning Show, with peer support, people can at least get talking.
“That information exchange, or sometimes we just talk about whatever in the groups,” she says. “They’ve worked out very, very well for us.”
Pitts says there’s a lower barrier to entry for peer support.
She says they do what they can to help people manage additional stress from the pandemic.
“A lot of times people are just looking for somebody to talk to,” she says. “Once they’re able to talk to somebody, it really helps.”
Pitts says they usually deliver services in-person, but COVID-19 changed that.
She says they had to make a quick transition to online when most in-person mental health services were locked down, and it’s still important now with the large backlog of people requesting mental health care.
