Information

Statistics on mental health

• One in three Canadians will be affected by a mental illness in their lifetime (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020).
• In 2022, approximately 18% of Canadians aged 15 and over will have a concurrent substance abuse problem (Statistics Canada)
• 70% of mental health problems begin in childhood or adolescence.
• Rates of substance abuse are higher among men than women, but rates of mood and anxiety disorders are higher among women.
• Over 75% of suicides are committed by men, but women attempt suicide three or four times more often than men.
• Almost half (49%) of those who feel they have suffered from depression or anxiety have never consulted a doctor about their problem.
• Only 50% of Canadians would tell friends or colleagues that a family member has a mental illness, while 72% would talk about a cancer diagnosis and 68% would confide that a family member suffers from diabetes.
• Nearly half of Canadians (46%) believe that people use the term mental illness to excuse bad behavior.
• While most people (58%) say they would socialize with a friend who has a mental illness, the proportion who say they would socialize with a friend who is an alcoholic (32%) or drug addict (26%) is much lower, suggesting that the stigma attached to addiction may be a factor in this.

Definitions of mental health

Public Health Agency of Canada

• If we say that mental health is the capacity for each of us to feel, think and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face, then mental health promotion is the process of enhancing the capacity of individuals and communities to take control over their lives and improve their mental health.

  Although there have been several definitions of mental health promotion put forth by various practitioners, our Unit emphasizes the following elements:

• By working to increase self-esteem, coping skills, social support and well-being in all individuals and communities, mental health promotion empowers people and communities to interact with their environments in ways that enhance emotional and spiritual strength. It is an approach that fosters individual resilience and promotes socially supportive environments. Mental health promotion also works to challenge discrimination against those with mental health problems. Respect for culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity is essential for promoting mental health for everyone.

Health Canada

• Mental health is the state of your psychological and emotional well-being. It is a necessary resource for living a healthy life and a main factor in overall health. It does not mean the same thing as mental illness. However, poor mental health can lead to mental and physical illness.

Mouvement Santé mentale Québec

• Mental health is an essential component of general health. It is a dynamic balance between the different aspects of life: social, physical, spiritual, economic, emotional and mental. It allows us to act, to develop our potential, to face the normal difficulties of life and to contribute to the community. It is influenced by the living conditions, the collective dominant values ​​as well as the values ​​specific to each person.
  It is important to specify that mental health is more than the absence of illness. In this sense, a person can live with a mental illness and have a mental well-being that could be reflected through satisfying relationships or a fulfilling job.

• Mental health promotion refers to the process of increasing the capacity of individuals and communities to take charge of themselves and improve their mental health. It is designed to increase health strengths, resources, knowledge and assets. It is an approach that considers everyone in their entirety, regardless of their mental or physical health. The effectiveness of mental health promotion requires individual, collective and political involvement.

• Mental health prevention aims to reduce or even eliminate, if not deal with the presence of certain factors or living conditions that undermine the mental health of individuals, causing them various suffering and disorders.