Facts About Mental Health in Canada

Canadian Mental Health Association


Number of Canadians with mental illness
20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime

Anxiety
Anxiety disorders affect 5% of the household population, causing mild to severe impairment

Bipolar Disorder
About 1% of Canadians will experience bipolar disorder (or “manic depression”)

Suicide rates
Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds and 16% among 25-44 year olds.

Men and suicide
The mortality rate due to suicide among men is four times the rate among women.

Major Depression
Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives

Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia affects 1% of the Canadian population

Youth depression
The total number of 12-19 year olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million

Going to the doctor
Almost one half (49%) of those who feel they have suffered from depression or anxiety have never gone to see a doctor about this problem

Seeking help
Once depression is recognized, help can make a difference for 80% of people who are affected, allowing them to get back to their regular activities

Youth suicide rate
Mental illness is increasingly threatening the lives of our children; with Canada’s youth suicide rate the third highest in the industrialized world

Percentage of Canadian youth affected by mental illness
It is estimated that 10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder – the single most disabling group of disorders worldwide

First Nations youth and suicide
First Nations youth commit suicide about five to six times more often than non-Aboriginal youth. The suicide rates for Inuit are among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average, and for young Inuit men the rates are 28 times higher

Available mental health services in Canada
In Canada, only 1 out of 5 children who need mental health services receives them

Mental illness in seniors
Rates of mental illness for adults between the ages of 70 and 89, including but not limited to dementia, are projected to be higher than for any other age group by 2041

Mental Health and the justice system
The vast majority of people living with mental health problems and illnesses are not involved with the criminal justice system. In fact, they are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators

Mental illness and unemployment
Among those with the most severe and complex mental health problems and illnesses, unemployment is estimated at between 70 and 90 per cent - Mental Health Commission of Canada

Cost of mental illness in Canada
The economic cost of mental illnesses in Canada for the health care system was estimated to be at least $7.9 billion in 1998 – $4.7 billion in care, and $3.2 billion in disability and early death