January 13, 2026 – Pollara’s 26th wave of bi-monthly mental health tracking research for Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) reveals that half of Canadians report dedicating time and effort to support their mental health. However, while many engage in activities they believe benefit their well-being, stigma and accessibility challenges continue to limit support for some groups. Notably, men are less likely to seek support, despite reporting higher levels of substance abuse and suicide ideation.
This latest study also uncovered that individuals who feel uncomfortable talking about their mental health are more likely to report moderate to severe anxiety (23% vs 16%) and depression (39% vs 25%) than the national average. Those with diagnosed mental health challenges, in particular, are less comfortable discussing mental health, even as they are more likely to experience mental health difficulties.
With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020, MHRC launched this bi-monthly survey series – “Understanding the Mental Health of Canadians: Through COVID-19 and Beyond” – dedicated to measuring, understanding, and tracking the country’s mental health. Yesterday, MHRC released the results of its 26th survey in the series. Designed, fielded, and analysed by Pollara Strategic Insights on behalf of MHRC, the national online survey of 4,207 adult Canadians was conducted in November 1 to 18, 2025. A probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of ±1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Using standard statistical techniques, the dataset has been weighted by the most current gender, age, and geographic Census data to ensure the sample is representative of the population as a whole.
In addition to our standard tracking questions regarding key mental health factors such as depression and anxiety, this wave also explored other related issues. Some of the key findings arising from the study include:
- Stigma still holds strong: About 1 in 3 Canadians (31%) with a diagnosed mental health condition feel embarrassed or ashamed, showing that stigma toward mental health and self-blame remain major issues.
- Men Often Struggle in Silence: Substance dependency is 3 to 4 times higher among young men than in the general population.
- Men are more likely to report suicidal ideation or suicide plan than women: And, despite higher rates of suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and substance-use issues, men are less likely to seek support when they need it.
- Opioid Use Reflects Complex Mental Health Challenges: In the past 12 months, 14% of Canadians have used opioids. Those who use opioids report higher rates of mental health and substance use concerns. It’s also important to note that pain itself affects mental health, and most opioid use is tied to pain management, an essential factor in understanding this relationship. A quarter (25%) of Canadians report living with chronic pain, which is associated with higher rates of mental health and substance use issues. Pain management often involves medications or substances.
These, and other findings from this latest study, are featured in both a summary report and a full report – both of which are free to view and download on the MHRC website. A series of research briefswhich provide in-depth explorations of specific topics (ex. mental health challenges of youth, newcomers, and cannabis users, etc.) are also housed at the MHRC website. In addition, MHRC hosts a Pollara-managed interactive data hub, which allows Canadians to search, view, and interact with the tracking datasets from all waves of this ongoing series of surveys. All of MHRC’s initiatives can also be found catalogued on their website.
