Perceived mental health

Proportion of the population by perceived mental health.

Often reported as:

Proportion of the population reporting very good or excellent mental health.

Perceived mental health is an indicator of mental health status. Perceived mental health refers to the perception of a person's mental health in general, either by the person themselves, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding to the survey questionnaire on behalf of the intended respondent.

This indicator is measured in a number of Statistics Canada surveys.

In the Canadian Community Health Survey – Annual Component (CCHS) and the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY), survey respondents are asked:

In general, how is your mental health?

• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

This indicator is measured through a number of Statistics Canada surveys. Estimates can vary between data sources due to differences in reference periods, targeted or sampled populations, data collection and other methodology.

• Canadian Community Health Survey – Annual Component (CCHS)
• Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY)
• Canadian Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CADS)
• Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS)
• Canadian Health and COVID-19 Survey (CHCS)
• Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)
• Canadian Housing Survey (CHS)
• Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS)
• Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS)
• Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS)
• Canadian Social Survey (CSS)
• Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD)
• Canadian Veteran Health Survey (CVHS)
• Executive Work and Health Survey (EWHS)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians' Safety (Victimization)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians at Work and Home
• Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS)
• Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS)
• National Cannabis Survey
• Public Service Employee Survey (PSES)
• Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS)
• Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic (SAHCPDP)
• Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH)
• Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences – Primary and Specialist Care (SHCAE-PSC)
• Survey on Mental Health and Stressful Events (SMHSE)
• Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit (SSFNPMI)
• Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC)
• Time Use Survey

For products related to perceived mental health, including data tables, data visualizations, articles, and other product types see Analytical releases: Perceived mental health or view all analytical releases.

This indicator aligns with the following frameworks:

• Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)
  • FSDS Goal 3 – Support mental health and adopt healthy behaviours
• The Canadian Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals
  • CIF Indicator 3.8.1 – Percentage of Canadians who perceived their mental health as very good to excellent
• Social inclusion indicators for Canada's ethnocultural groups
  • Health and well-being
    • Perceived mental health, very good or excellent
    • Perceived mental health, fair or poor
• Gender Results Framework (GRF)
  • Poverty reduction, health and well-being
    • GFR Indicator 5.6.1 – Proportion of adults who have high psychological well-being