Factors associated with stress about returning to pre-pandemic routines among Canadians

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a public health concern, with important impacts on individuals' mental health. Many people have experienced significant changes to their daily routines due to the pandemic and for some, returning to pre-pandemic routines could create elevated stress. The present study explored factors associated with stress about returning to pre-pandemic routines (SRPR). A web-based, cross-sectional survey of 1,001 Canadian adults aged 18 years and older was conducted on July 9-13, 2021. SRPR was assessed by asking the respondents how much stress they have been feeling about returning to their pre-pandemic routines. Sociodemographic variables, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and COVID-19-related worry were examined in relation to SRPR. Overall, 28.8% of respondents reported moderate to extreme SRPR. After adjusting for covariates, factors associated with elevated SRPR included: younger age (AOR = 2.29, 95%CI 1.30-4.03), higher education (AOR = 2.08, 95%CI 1.14-3.79), being very worried about getting COVID-19 (AOR = 4.14, 95%CI 2.46-6.95), switching to working from home (AOR = 2.43, 95%CI 1.44-4.11), having anxiety (AOR = 5.02, 95%CI 3.19-7.89), feeling depressed (AOR = 1.93, 95%CI 1.14-3.25), and feeling lonely (AOR = 1.74, 95%CI 1.07-2.83). The findings of this study suggest that individuals experiencing mental health concerns (anxiety, feeling depressed, feeling lonely) may be especially likely to feel elevated SRPR and may therefore need additional support in making the transition back to prior routines.