ABOUT THE STUDY

This study was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights with an online sample of 4,666 adult Canadians in August 2025. The results from this study provide insights into the mental health of Canadians and reveal concerning trends. Results from a probability sample of this size could be considered accurate to within ±1.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Results have been weighted based on age, gender and region to be representative of the Canadian population. 

A series of research briefs that provide an in-depth, specific investigation of our polling results can be found here. Results of earlier polls are compared when applicable.  

Findings from our polls are searchable on our free Data Portal.

Our latest report reveals new insights on access to mental health support using AI tools, opioid use for pain management, and the impacts of sexual and reproductive issues on mental health. 

Key findings include: 

• Usage of AI tools for mental health support:
  Almost 1 in 10 Canadians (8%) have turned to AI tools for mental health support. Usage is higher among youth and equity-deserving groups. 

• Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues are impacting Mental Health:

  Canadians experiencing sexual or reproductive health (SRH) issues are nearly twice as likely to report moderate to severe symptoms of depression (43%) and anxiety (27%) compared to the national average.

  In the past year, more than one-third of women (35%) and one in five men (19%) reported facing SRH challenges.

• Use of opioids to manage pain and correlation with Poor Mental Health:

  13% of Canadians reported using an opioid in the past 12 months. Almost on-third of them report suicide ideation, compared to 11% of non-users.

  With 80% of opioid users turning to these substances to manage pain, pain is likely a major contributor to their mental health issues.

Other findings include:

• Mental health of caregivers and lack of support:
  1 in 5 Canadians are unpaid caregivers, providing care most often to older adults (58%). More than half of Canadian caregivers don’t receive any support on their role.

  Suicidal ideation is higher among caregivers (20%) compared to non-caregivers (13%). Employed caregivers are twice as likely to miss work due to mental health challenges compared to employed non-caregivers.

• Economic and geopolitical stressors persist:

  Mental health indicators show some minor improvement during the summer. However, economic and geopolitical stress continues to affect Canadians: 44% report that the cost of living is negatively impacting their mental health, and 42% say the political and economic relationship between Canada and the U.S. is affecting their mental well-being.