New polling data is giving a new look at the toll the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the mental health of Canadians.

The review is based on a series of online Leger surveys over the course of the year that were analyzed by the Association for Canadian Studies.

About one in five respondents in a March survey rated their mental health as bad, but by November two in every three respondents felt their mental health was worse than it was before the pandemic.

More women than men in the surveys thought that was the case.

Association president Jack Jedwab says other results suggest the importance of staying connected as a good coping mechanism.

He notes that respondents with many friends reported significantly better mental health than those who had fewer friends.