Access to Mental Health Services by Funding Pathways
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Where people in Canada turn for mental health support and how service providers differ across private, public, free and community-based funding pathways.
Where are Canadians turning for support? Accessing mental health support in Canada does not follow a single route. People may turn to Public Services, Private Services, Free Services & Self-Help or Community & Campus Services. Each funding pathway connects people with a different mix of service providers.
Key findings include:
Public Services were the most commonly reported pathway. More than half of respondents (53%) accessed support through Public Services. Among those using this pathway, 66% consulted a Family Doctor and 34% consulted a Psychiatrist.
Private Services were used by almost one-third of respondents. Among the 32% who accessed Private Services, 46% consulted a Psychologist and 8% accessed support through an EAP.
One in five respondents used Free Services & Self-Help. Among the 20% who used this pathway, 20% contacted Kids Help Phone and 18% accessed free support through Crisis Services Canada.
Community & Campus Services provided another route to support. Among the 12% who accessed this pathway, 32% used support offered by their town, city or region and 30% turned to support offered by their school.
Why does this matter?
Funding is not a back-office detail: it shapes the providers people can reach, the route they take and whether support can continue. By showing private, public, free and community-based options side by side, this infographic makes clear that a single access figure cannot capture people’s different care pathways. Mapping those pathways can help identify where affordability, navigation or continuity may be limiting timely support.
About these findings
This infographic summarizes responses from 3,410 people who accessed mental health or substance use services through MHRC’s national online polling between July 2023 and November 2024. Pollara Strategic Insights conducted the online survey fieldwork that informed these findings on our behalf.
