Tejal Somvanshi
Over one-third of Canadians now show symptoms of depression or anxiety, revealing a national mental health crisis that disproportionately affects young people and Indigenous communities, according to new research from the University of Ottawa.
A survey of 4,200 Canadians found that over 38% presented symptoms of depression while one-third reported anxiety symptoms. The numbers paint a troubling picture, especially among Indigenous Canadians who showed the highest rates of both conditions.
“Our findings should sound the alarm on the societal mental health crisis Canada is facing,” says Dr. Jude Mary Cénat, professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology who led the research.
Among Indigenous participants, nearly half (49.37%) showed depression symptoms and 47.58% reported anxiety. Arab Canadians had the second-highest rates at 44.23% for depression and 38.99% for anxiety. Women were 1.47 times more likely than men to experience anxiety, with non-binary individuals facing even higher risks.
Young people consistently reported more severe symptoms across all racial groups. Most concerning, 54.1% of Indigenous women reported symptoms of depression.
Dr. Cénat and his colleague Dr. Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Moshirian Farahi emphasize that racism plays a significant role in worsening mental health for Indigenous and racialized people.
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“While resilience can help alleviate symptoms, it cannot compensate for the impact of discrimination and structural inequalities,” Dr. Cénat explains.
Statistics Canada data shows youth mental health has deteriorated rapidly, with those rating their mental health as “fair” or “poor” more than doubling from 12% in 2019 to 26% in 2023.
The crisis is especially severe among Indigenous youth, who die by suicide at 5-6 times the rate of non-Indigenous youth. For Inuit youth specifically, suicide rates are about 24 times the national average.
Canada launched the national 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline in 2023, providing 24/7 bilingual, trauma-informed support via phone and text.1
Experts say Canada urgently needs a comprehensive national mental health plan that incorporates anti-racist and culturally sensitive prevention and care. Without action, Dr. Farahi warns, already fragile health systems will face increasing pressure.
“There is a critical need to fight systematic racism in schools, in the workplace, and in public services,” he adds, emphasizing that mental health must become a major national priority.
