As we move into the pandemic’s recovery period, MHRC is shifting its focus from mental health as it relates to COVID-19, to a more current and ongoing approach.

Indicators around anxiety and depression are improving considerably, as is demonstrated in Mental Health Research Canada’s (MHRC) Poll 13. Since Canada has begun to move into the post-pandemic recovery period, current high self-rated levels of anxiety are nearly halved (21% to 11%) and high self-rated depression decreased by one third (from 14% to 9%) from levels seen during COVID-19. The data was collected in MHRC’s thirteenth poll from July 13 – 22, 2022.

Despite the positive sign of improvements in the mental health of Canadians, the major findings also demonstrate some areas of concern, including:

• Those self-reporting high anxiety or depression are still much more likely to be experiencing symptoms of a severe mental health disorder (54% compared to 42% from last poll).

• A third (33%) of Canadians experience some level of food insecurity, particularly new mothers, unemployed Canadians, those with a physical impairment, those who rate their anxiety or depression as high or with a severe mental disorder, or those who demonstrate a dependence on alcohol or cannabis are considerably more likely to report moderate to serious levels of food insecurity.

• Mothers with newborn children (under 1 year) demonstrate more negative mental health indicators than the average Canadian.

• Five percent of Canadians are demonstrating signs of alcohol dependency and 9% are indicating harmful behaviours, including one in ten reporting being unable to stop drinking once they have started at least once a month.

• One in ten respondents indicate using cannabis to an extent that is considered to range from hazardous to dependent.

The above are just some of the key findings of MHRC’s thirteenth poll, part of a multi-year effort to track the mental health challenges of COVID-19 and beyond.