Statistics Canada says the majority of Canadians have good mental health.
Based on results of the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health, 76.9% of Canadians age 15 or older were categorized as having flourishing mental health. That is, they generally felt good about and functioned well in daily life. A further 1.5% were classified as languishing (low positive emotions, low positive functioning), while 21.6% were in moderate mental health (neither flourishing nor languishing).
When these mental health classifications were combined with information on the presence or absence of a mental illness, an estimated 72.5% of Canadians (19.8 million) were considered to have complete mental health. That is, they were flourishing, and they did not meet the criteria for any of the six major mental disorders: depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and alcohol, cannabis or other drug abuse or dependence.
Men and women were equally likely to have complete mental health: 72% and 73%, respectively. However, a number of other factors were associated with the likelihood of having complete mental health: age, marital status, income, education, employment status, spirituality and physical health.
The percentage of people with complete mental health tended to be higher at older ages, rising from 65% at ages 15 to 24 to almost 80% at age 65 or older.
Having a partner was also associated with complete mental health. While 77% of people with a partner were in complete mental health, the figure was 72% among those who were widowed, separated or divorced, and 64% among those who were single.
Lower income and levels of education were associated with a lower likelihood of complete mental health. About two-thirds of people who lived in households in the lowest income quintile were in complete mental health, compared with more than three-quarters of those in the highest household income quintile. As well, while 69% of people who had not completed post-secondary education were in complete mental health, the percentage was 74% among those who had completed post-secondary studies.
People who reported that religious or spiritual beliefs were important in their daily lives were significantly more likely to be in complete mental health than were those not classified as having strong spirituality: 76% versus 66%, respectively.
Those with pain that prevented most activities were less likely to be in complete mental health than were people with no pain: 55% versus 75%.
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