New international survey results released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reveal that in 2023, 29% of Canadians age 18 and older said they’d experienced depression, anxiety or another mental health condition, up from 20% in 2016
Alongside the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic stressors were identified as a contributing factor to declining mental health. A larger number of Canadians reported worry or stress related to paying for housing, having enough food and having a safe, clean place to sleep compared with their peers in other high-income countries surveyed:
- 17% of Canadians worried about affording their rent or mortgage, while the Commonwealth Fund (CMWF) average was 14%.
- 10% worried about food security, compared with the CMWF average of 8%.
- 10% worried about having a clean, safe place to sleep; the CMWF average was 8%.
Cost cited as a barrier to accessing mental health services
When it came to seeking support for mental health, cost remained a factor. Mental health services are not fully covered by public health insurance plans, which means Canadians also pay out of pocket or through private insurance plans. 15% of Canadians cited cost as the reason they did not access mental health services when they needed them, compared with the CMWF average of 11%.
“The survey results highlight the impacts that economic factors such as the rising cost of living are having on mental health among Canadians,” said Cheryl Chui, director of Health System Analytics at CIHI. “The international comparisons offered by the survey provide an opportunity to learn from other countries’ policies and practices to work toward improving the mental health and well-being of Canadians.”
About The Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private, U.S.-based non-profit foundation that provides core funding for and leads the development of surveys on international health policy. The surveys, conducted annually, focus on a different aspect of health policy with the objective of filling information gaps by reporting on polls of patients and providers in 10 high-income countries — Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. CIHI has been participating as the Canadian partner since 2014.
About CIHI
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing essential health information to all Canadians. CIHI works closely with federal, provincial and territorial partners and stakeholders throughout Canada to gather, package and disseminate information to inform policy, management, care and research, leading to better and more equitable health outcomes for all Canadians.
Health information has become one of society’s most valuable public goods. For more than 30 years, CIHI has set the pace on data privacy, security, accessibility and innovation to improve Canada’s health systems.
CIHI: Better data. Better decisions. Healthier Canadians.
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