Reports and findings
Mental health is shaped by a wide range of experiences, environments and pressures. Understanding how those factors are changing requires evidence that is current, relevant and grounded in the experiences of people in Canada.
We conduct and support research to better understand the state of mental health across the country, identify emerging challenges and explore the factors that influence how people cope, seek support and experience care. Our work ranges from ongoing national population polling to focused quantitative and qualitative research examining specific issues, populations and areas where deeper understanding is needed.
This collection brings together our reports, research briefs and findings, including work developed with research, community and sector partners. Together, they provide a growing picture of mental health in Canada, from broad national trends to more focused insights on access to care, workplace and youth mental health, emerging technologies, substance use, belonging and the experiences of communities whose needs may not always be visible in national averages.
Explore the latest findings below, or use the filters to find research by topic.
A System Falling Short: Men’s Experiences with Mental Health and Substance Use Services in Canada
Our national polling estimates that 1.3 million men over 16 have unmet mental health support needs. We partnered with Movember and CAMH to bring MHRC evidence together with complementary research to examine where men are being missed and what happens when they reach care.
Economic pressures, social connections and care
Our latest data show how economic pressures, social connections, personal stories and experiences of care intersect with mental health in Canada, with marked differences among some people with higher needs.
Men’s Mental Health: Conversations Across Age Groups
Men across age groups described actively managing their mental health, often without formal support. Their experiences reveal how self-reliance, concerns about burdening others and barriers to care can shape whether, when and where men seek help.
Addressing the AI Trust Gap
AI-enabled tools and virtual services are already part of how people in Canada seek mental health support. New findings explore who is using them, how effective users find them and what will be needed to build greater trust in digitally-supported mental health care.
Stable Numbers, Deeper Pressure
National anxiety and depression rates remain relatively stable, but other measures reveal continuing pressure. Resilience has declined, many people leave mental health care earlier than planned or needed and financial strain, screen habits and social connection are closely associated with mental well-being.
From Silence to Support: Better Mental Health Support for Young Men
Young men face barriers that go beyond access to care. New MHRC and GreenShield findings show how stigma, disengagement and riskier coping behaviours can shape their mental health journeys, pointing to the need for earlier, more responsive support they can trust and continue using.
From Experience to Evidence
For many participants, alcohol or cannabis use that began socially became increasingly tied to stress, sleep, anxiety or other pressures. Their experiences reveal how perceived risk, stigma and gaps in support can shape substance use, and what more responsive policies and services could look like.
When Mental Health Support Ends Too Soon
People in Canada continue to face uncertainty about when to seek mental health support and how to navigate care. The findings point to persistent stigma, barriers to access and a troubling pattern of people ending care earlier than planned or needed.
Access to Mental Health Services by Funding Pathways
More than half of people who accessed mental health or substance use support used private services, while others relied on public, free or community-based options. This infographic shows how funding pathways shape where people turn and which providers they see.
The Pressures Shaping Mental Health
Caregiving responsibilities, financial pressures and heavy personal screen use are associated with poorer mental health, while many people report that mental health challenges are affecting their work, studies and ability to cope with everyday demands.
Is it Helping?: Satisfaction with Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Satisfaction with Mental Health and Substance Use Services
The Strain of Staying Connected
Economic strain, heavy personal screen use and gaps in access to primary care are affecting mental health across Canada. At the same time, people with stronger community connections report a greater sense of belonging and better mental health outcomes.
Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Services by Canadians with Severe and Complex Challenges
It all begins with an idea.
Rising anxiety and falling access
Self-reported anxiety increased while fewer people accessed mental health support or had their needs fully met. The findings also show low confidence in recognizing poor mental health, financial barriers to care and sharply elevated problem-gambling risk among younger adults.
