Nearly half of Canadians have struggled with a mental health issue: survey

May 17 2018, 12:33 am

Nearly half of all Canadians (49%)  have experienced a mental health issue, according to a recent national survey conducted by Sun Life Financial.

According to the survey, more than one-third (37%) of respondents suffered from anxiety and 30% reported that they had experienced depression.

Sun Life found that of Millenials (ages 20 to 34) were the group most likely to report mental health concerns.

“The numbers speak for themselves – many Canadians say they have experienced a mental health issue in their life. To get at the heart of the issue, we need to open the lines of safe communication and work together to remove barriers,” said Jacques Goulet, president of  Sun Life Financial Canada, in a release.

“Connect with your personal support network, speak with your family physician, or tap into your workplace mental health benefits – these are some of the ways to find help that’s right for you.”

Half of Canadians have experienced a mental health issue (CNW Group/Sun Life Financial Canada)

When it comes to the workplace, the survey found that only 28% of working Canadians living with a mental health issue have spoken to their employer about it.

This is a serious drop compared to the 56% of Canadians who have had a conversation about a serious physical issue with their employer.

The number of Canadians reaching out to get professional help is also significantly low. The survey found that one-quarter (27%) did not speak to a health professional about what they were going through. Millennials (33%) were least likely to talk to a health professional, followed by Generation X (27%) and pre-boomers (23%).

The Sun Life survey is based on the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between October 13 and October 19, 2017. A sample of 2,900 Canadians, ages 20 to 80, were surveyed online. 

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