The COVID-19 Impact Survey conducted last December revealed that 65% of respondents suffer from depression or anxiety. Given this high percentage of distress within our community, we are making it a priority for action.
To discuss with the community the immediate and longer-term mental health needs, we held two conversations on the subject on January 27. For these initiatives, we were accompanied by a psychologist, Myriam Pâquet, who helped us synthesize everything we heard during these two hours.
Several issues emerged, including: the loss of meaning and identity in the context of a professional hiatus, performance anxiety in the face of high expectations and the return to work, the complex relationship between body and mind, the lack of grounding during tours, the fear of failure and other phobias, and the feeling of powerlessness in the face of the distress of peers or subordinates. It is evident that mental health issues are prevalent in our community, and we will work to provide tools to support you through our various programs in the coming months and years.
Firstly, we have gathered official mental health resources on our website. You can consult them at any time. On this page, you will also find a collaborative document for sharing mental health resources by province. One of the issues repeatedly mentioned during the consultations is the lack of access to mental health specialists who are familiar with the specific challenges of the circus arts sector. This bilingual document aims to be a source of such information. Anyone can either add specialists they wish to recommend to the community or consult the resources shared therein with complete confidentiality. However, it is important to note that the specialists listed are not official references approved by En Piste.
Finally, we remind you that individual members have access to insurance that includes eight hours of immediate and confidential support. If you wish to learn more about this program, you can consult our website or contact Paola Dugit-Gros.