December 12, 2024 – In Pollara’s 22nd wave of bi-monthly mental health tracking research for Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC), we have found that Canadians’ mental well-being is being increasingly impacted by rising levels of anxiety, as the festive season approaches and 2024 draws to a close. Financial hardship and instability as well as a lack of support systems are exacerbating these challenges.
Notably, a third (35%) of Canadians are worried about affording healthy food for their families, with 4% relying on food assistance programs, and one in four (25%) report lacking a consistent support network. Financial challenges and system delays are exacerbating mental health struggles, with 44% identifying cost and 36% citing long waitlists as barriers to care. These findings highlight the deep emotional and social toll many are facing as the holiday season unfolds, emphasizing the urgent need to connect and support one another during this time of year.
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. Today, MHRC released the results of its 22nd survey in the series. Designed, fielded, and analysed by Pollara Strategic Insights on behalf of MHRC, the national online survey of N=8,211 Canadians aged 16 and older was conducted from October 24 to November 12, 2024. A probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +1.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Gender, age, and geographical factors have been weighted using standard statistical techniques in order to ensure the dataset is representative of the Canadian population.
The study explored topics such as self-rated anxiety and depression, access to mental health support, mental health literacy, and the impact of problem gambling. Key findings in the study include:
- Rising Anxiety, Declining Support: Self-reported anxiety has risen to 13% compared to our last poll, yet access to mental health support has dropped from 17% to 13%. Among those who sought help, fewer report their needs were fully met (30%, down from 36%).
- Youth Mental Health at Risk: Younger Canadians (aged 18–34) are disproportionately struggling, with 24% having considered suicide in the past year, compared to the national average of 14%. This group is also twice as likely to be at high risk of problem gambling (22% vs. 10%).
- Concerning Gambling Behaviours: One in ten Canadians (10%) report gambling behaviours that put them at high risk of developing a gambling problem. Men (14%) and younger Canadians aged 18–34 (22%) are most likely to report these risky behaviours, with over half (54%) of high-risk gamblers engaging in online gambling.
- Low Mental Health Literacy: Only 37% of Canadians feel confident in recognizing signs of poor mental health in themselves. This highlights an urgent need for improved mental health literacy to help individuals seek timely support and reduce stigma.
These, and other findings from this latest poll, 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 briefs which provide in-depth explorations of specific topics (ex. mental health challenges of youth, newcomers, and cannabis users) are also housed at the MHRC website. In addition, MHRC hosts a Pollara-managed interactive data portal, which allows Canadians to search, view, and interact with the tracking datasets from all waves of this ongoing series of surveys.
