Nearly half of Canadians say the rising cost of living is hurting their mental health, while more than half of those who accessed mental health or substance-use support report ending care earlier than planned or needed, according to new national polling.
The findings from Mental Health Research Canada's latest Understanding the Mental Health of Canadians survey point to challenges extending beyond access to care, including financial pressure, social connections, coping strategies and whether people feel their treatment needs are being met.
"Mental health is shaped by much more than what happens inside the health system," said Akela Peoples, chief executive officer of MHRC. "People are trying to manage financial pressure, stay connected and find support that actually works for them. These findings reinforce why we need to look at the whole picture, not just whether someone is able to get through the door."
Economic pressure and access to care
The survey found that 46 per cent of respondents said the cost of living was negatively affecting their mental health. Difficulty fully paying household bills was cited by 37 per cent, while 35 per cent said difficulty affording or maintaining stable housing was affecting their mental health.
Global political events were identified as a negative influence by 44 per cent of respondents, while 37 per cent said climate change was negatively affecting their mental health.
Among people who accessed mental health or substance-use care in the past year, 65 per cent said the support met most or all of their needs, but only 29 per cent said their needs were fully met. The proportion reporting that their needs were fully met fell to 14 per cent among people with severe anxiety symptoms and 17 per cent among those with moderately severe-to-severe depression symptoms.
The survey also found that 52 per cent of people who had accessed mental health or substance-use support said they ended care earlier than planned or needed. That figure rose to 72 per cent among people with severe anxiety symptoms and 74 per cent among those with moderately severe-to-severe depression symptoms.
The most commonly reported reasons for ending care early were not seeing real-world progress or improvement, at 16 per cent; not feeling understood or respected, at 12 per cent; and unclear goals or expectations, at 11 per cent.
Substance dependence and social connections
People showing signs of alcohol or cannabis dependence reported additional challenges. Among those showing signs of alcohol dependence, 75 per cent reported a mood-disorder diagnosis, while 78 per cent of those showing signs of cannabis dependence reported the same.
Twenty-eight per cent of people showing signs of alcohol dependence and 25 per cent of those showing signs of cannabis dependence said they needed mental health or substance-use support but did not access it. Among those who did access support, 84 per cent of people showing signs of alcohol dependence and 79 per cent of those showing signs of cannabis dependence reported ending care earlier than planned or needed.
The polling also examined social connections. Meaningful interaction was reported more frequently with family and friends than with neighbours or community and organized groups, with 68 per cent saying they interacted with family at least weekly and 57 per cent reporting the same for friends. The figures were 28 per cent for neighbours and 21 per cent for community or organized groups.
Among people with fewer social connections, 24 per cent identified mental health challenges as a barrier to connecting with others. Lack of time was cited by 28 per cent.
Coping strategies
The survey found that many respondents rely on individual coping strategies when dealing with stress. Forty-three per cent said they keep busy or push through on their own, while 42 per cent said they take time alone or distance themselves. Another 39 per cent said they talk with a friend, family member or partner.
Only 11 per cent said they see a counsellor, therapist or other mental health professional as a coping strategy, while 21 per cent reported at least one potentially harmful coping behaviour.
"What stands out in this wave is how clearly the pressures connect," said Michael Cooper, vice-president, data & partnerships at MHRC. "Economic strain, the ways people cope, whether they feel connected and what happens when they enter care are not separate mental health stories. The data show that people facing the greatest challenges are often also the least likely to have their needs fully met or to remain in care. That is exactly why tracking these experiences together matters."