Torontonians are lonelier following the COVID-19 pandemic than they were before, according to a study.
The Toronto Social Capital Study was conducted by The Toronto Foundation, along with Environics and 15 leading community organizations across Toronto.
It surveyed 4,163 residents between May 27 and Sept. 10 and found that people see their close friends and relatives less often than in 2018 and that has led to dissatisfaction with how much they communicate with these people.
A previous study was conducted in 2018, before the pandemic, which has allowed researchers to make comparisons.
This 2022 Toronto Social Capital Study aimed to delve into the wellbeing of Toronto residents based on their social networks, social trust, civic engagement and neighbourhood support.
“This survey of over 4,000 Torontonians, documents the impact of the pandemic has had on city residents, leaving us less connected to one another and to the community,” Andrew Parkin, executive director, Environics Institute, said in a news release.
“But the news is not all bad. Most of us have family and friends to rely on, feel our neighbourhoods are safe, find our neighbours helpful, have confidence in local institutions, and participate in community activities. Our social networks are not less diverse than they were, and we generally trust each other, even those with different political views or different ethnic backgrounds.”
Sharon Avery, president and CEO, Toronto Foundation, said that the study shows that: “While our connections are not as strong as they used to be, COVID has not driven us further apart.”
Other interesting findings from the study included:
-The fact that civic engagement has dropped (we participate less in politics and local groups has dropped and Toronto has lost 300,000 donors and 300,000 volunteers based on a 12% drop in donation and volunteer rates and those making over $100,000 have dropped the most in terms of donations).
-That young people, and women in particular, have the least optimistic outlooks and report the poorest mental health, but young Torontonians are also the most likely to volunteer.
-That Torontonians with disabilities have lower life satisfaction and wellbeing, but those reporting disabilities that only sometimes limit their activities recorded higher rates of volunteering and interest in politics.
-That Black residents have lower than average levels of social trust, experienced some of the biggest drops in community group participation and, are among those most likely to face income and food insecurity. Despite these realities, they also show the highest levels of agency, meaning they are much more likely to say that people working together can make a big difference in their communities.
–That LGBTQ2S+ residents are also more likely to face economic insecurity, have lower social trust and are less confident that local institutions will be there to support them—but also have higher rates of civic engagement, including volunteerism.
–And that Unemployed Torontonians are more likely to consistently report low social capital. They have fewer connections to support them, lower social trust, and poorer wellbeing (including food insecurity). There are few bright spots for these Torontonians.
-Only 25% of Torontonians say they always have something to look forward to (down from 40% in 2018) and city residents are almost twice as likely (as they were in 2018) to say their mental health is fair or poor—with worse figures for younger and lower income residents.
It found that “income is the great dividing line in the city, and when it intersects with other factors can contribute to very low levels of social capital and significant vulnerability in the face of crisis.”
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