Raising awareness - mental health in Canada

Mental health challenges are a common experience. Most people will experience periods of better or worse mental health throughout their lives.

However, some people will experience symptoms that are more severe, persist for a longer period, and impact their ability to function in everyday life.  These people may meet the diagnostic criteria for a specific mental illness or mental disorder.

Mental disorders are characterized by disruptions in thinking, mood, or behaviour and are associated with distress and impaired functioning.

There are many different types of mental disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.

From October 2 to October 9, it is Mental Illness Awareness Week in Canada. This national campaign seeks to inform and educate Canadians about the reality of Mental Illness and provides us with an opportunity to address misconceptions about mental illness and improve our understanding of mental health. This in turn, promotes our acceptance, respect and equitable treatment of those living with mental illness, while reducing stigma.

In 2022, more than 5 million people in Canada met the diagnostic criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder, with the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders increasing substantially over the previous 10 years.

Some of the largest changes in the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders over the previous 10 years were observed among young women aged 15 to 24 years old.

The prevalence of a major depressive episode in the previous 12 months also increased among young women, more than doubling from 9.0% in 2012 to 18.4% in 2022.

Conversely, the percentage of Canadians aged 15 years and older who met diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders in the previous 12 months decreased from 3.2% in 2012 to 2.2% in 2022.

Accessing mental health care services often involves talking to a professional who can provide mental health care or who can support those with needs for mental health care. In Canada, this includes family physicians or general practitioners, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, and counsellors, among others.

Administrative health data suggest that primary care providers have seen an increase in visits for mental health concerns since 2020, especially among children and adolescents.

Mental illness can affect anyone—our family; our friends or colleagues; ourselves. 

By learning more about the experiences of individuals with mental illness, we can spread awareness and show support for people who may have challenges with their mental health.

It is important to remember that taking care of yourself and acknowledging when you need help are signs of strength, not weakness.

Continue to be a part of the change in how we see and talk about mental illness by educating yourself and others, while challenging myths and stereotypes about mental illness.

A new Statistics Canada study published in September 2023 uses new data from the Mental Health and Access to Care Survey to examines changes in the share of Canadians meeting the diagnostic criteria for some specific mental disorders, regardless of whether they received a diagnosis from a health care professional.

Free and confidential mental health and substance use support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from Wellness Together Canada. More resources can be found on this mental health support page.