Four local doctors sing with national virtual choir in support of frontline mental health

Four doctors with Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare recently participated in a virtual choir to support the A Dollar A Day Foundation, a charity that raises funds for frontline mental health and addictions programs across the country.

Drs. Kirsten Jewell, Pam McDermott, Dan Purcell, and Allison Small joined more than 200 physicians from across the country for the Canadian Physicians Virtual Choir Project, recording a virtual performance of Ordinary Day by Great Big Sea.

“There was a similar women’s physician choir at the start of the pandemic from Toronto. Dr. Small had sent around a post…about this choir,” said Dr. McDermott. “I thought that would be awesome to be a part of.”

After a few virtual group rehearsals, participants were asked to each record and submit a video of themselves singing their own part. The individual videos were then pieced together by sound and video engineers.

“It was technologically challenging to do and I’m deeply impressed with these online musician groups putting it together,” said Dr. McDermott.

For Dr. McDermott, there were two benefits:

“The more we participate, particularly right now with the pandemic, the better that is for individuals and singing is particularly good for our brain,” she said. Dr. McDermott has been a physician for 40 years with a background in mental health. “But also on the level of ways to benefit the community. With this choir we were part of a bigger group and the charity they were supporting supports seven projects in Ontario including the Canadian Mental [Health] Association, which is our mental health association up here. It helps raise awareness of mental health and the challenges people might be having during the pandemic. About 50 per cent of people have some kind of mental health issue by the time they’re 40 and now about 50 per cent of people who have had issues are finding themselves quite a bit worse, or even people who’ve never had any issues. Mental health right now is something that we all need to be aware of, all of us. Even people who don’t have any particular issues are finding this time challenging.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic stretching on for more than a year and with the middle of winter and a lockdown upon us, many factors are at play when it comes deteriorating mental health.

“Anything that contributes to isolation and lack of connection with others would be part of that, as well as people who have any kind of vulnerability or people we would identify as vulnerable: single parents, elderly people who are alone, people with dementia or racialized groups,” said Dr. McDermott. “Then add to the group people who can’t do things, the stresses frontline healthcare workers have, grocery store workers, clerks and people who work in factories who have to go to work and are at risk and are stressed. There’s stress in the healthcare field because of rising cases and reduced resources. I think everybody, even the most stalwart person, has had raised anxiety to some degree and many of the avenues that we would have done to help ourselves aren’t available. People can’t go out in groups, or have family meals, or hugs and if you’re not an outdoors person you’re pretty locked in.”

With the traditional avenues unavailable at the moment, Dr. McDermott said there are other ways to try and cope and help yourself or someone else.

“People could contribute to charities that support people, to food banks or anything that contributes to the stability of others, reaching out to people who you know might be struggling. Making connections with other people is helpful, as we move around in the community to the extent that we can, really making contact with the people we’re interacting with such as the checkout person who no doubt is stressed. Just caring about other people we come in contact with. Those little things contribute to people’s sense of well-being, not just financially. If you make extra soup maybe you give it to a neighbour who’s shut in. There are many, many things we can do. Money is important to fund programs but it’s not just money that we can give, we can give ourselves.”

Dr. McDermott said it’s important for people to be aware of local resources that are available to help themselves or other people.

“Perhaps there’s somebody who’s computer savvy, they could find out what the online support groups are, which there are a lot, that could help out a friend,” she said. “Just finding small, little ways we can help others daily can be helpful to the self as well. Another way is sharing our experiences, whether it was therapy or mindfulness programs, say what helped you. We’re responsible not only for our own mental health but to others. We’re responsible to help others around us.”

For available resources, visit the websites of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Muskoka-Parry Sound branch and the Mental Health Commission of Canada, which lists free online support options.

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