Accessing mental health care in Canada

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Release date: May 11, 2017
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Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

Infographic: Accessing mental health care in Canada
Description for Accessing mental health care in Canada

The following numbers look at how Canadians perceive their mental health and their access to mental health services.

In 2015, Canadians aged 12 years and older reported that their current mental healthFootnote 1 was:

  • 6% Fair or poor.
  • 22% Good.
  • 72% Excellent or very good.

14% of Canadians aged 12 years and older reported that they had seen or talked to a health professional about their mental or emotional health in the past 12 months.Footnote 1

Of those,

  • 2 out of 3 were female.
  • 1 in 3 were male.

60% of females who were diagnosed with a mood or anxiety disorder talked to a professional in the last 12 months.Footnote 1

50% of males who were diagnosed with a mood or anxiety disorder talked to a professional in the last 12 months.Footnote 1

When seeking professional care for their mental healthFootnote 1, Canadians consulted:

  • 57% a family doctor or general practitioner.
  • 22% a social worker.
  • 22% a psychologist.
  • 17% a psychiatrist.
  • 5% a nurse.
  • 7% an other health care professional.

Approximately 4.9 million Canadians aged 15 years and older experienced a need for mental health care in the previous 12 months.Footnote 2

  • Approximately 600,000 Canadians felt it was unmet.
  • More than 1 million Canadians felt it was partially met.

In 2012, 39% of Canadians aged 15 to 24 reported that they consulted a resource about problems with emotions, mental health, or the use of alcohol or drugs in the previous year.Footnote 3

Of those,

  • 12% consulted a health professional.
  • 27% consulted an informal source.
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