Mental Health Strategy for Canada
This strategy was published in 2012. The data may be out of date.
The Mental Health Strategy for Canada
Changing Directions, Changing Lives, released in May 2012, is the first mental health strategy for Canada. It aims to help improve the mental health and well-being of all people living in Canada, and to create a mental health system that can truly meet the needs of people living with mental health problems and illnesses and their families.
A blueprint for change
Mental health concerns us all. Mother, father, neighbour, friend – one in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness every year, with a cost of well over $50 billion to our economy. And many people either don’t seek or can’t get the services and supports they need to recover a meaningful life.
The Strategy draws on the experience, knowledge and wisdom of thousands of people across the country, and provides an opportunity for everyone’s efforts – large and small – to help bring about change.
Transforming Canada’s mental health system
A first phase of work was completed in 2009 with the release of Toward Recovery and Well-Being: A Framework for a Mental Health Strategy for Canada, which put forward a vision and broad goals for transforming the mental health system.
The Strategy translates this vision into 26 priorities and 109 recommendations for action, grouped under the following 6 Strategic Directions:
- Promote mental health across the lifespan in homes, schools, and workplaces, and prevent mental illness and suicide wherever possible.
- Foster recovery and well-being for people of all ages living with mental health problems and illnesses, and uphold their rights.
- Provide access to the right combination of services, treatments and supports, when and where people need them.
- Reduce disparities in risk factors and access to mental health services, and strengthen the response to the needs of diverse communities and Northerners.
- Work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to address their mental health needs, acknowledging their distinct circumstances, rights and cultures.
- Mobilize leadership, improve knowledge, and foster collaboration at all levels.
To see a summary of our internal review of the Strategy as well as Health Canada’s evaluation click here.
Join the conversation: #MHCCstrategy
Related Initiatives
Informing the Future
Mental Health Indicators for Canada
Stigma and Discrimination
Changing How We See Mental Ilness
Resources
The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) created Changing Directions, Changing Lives: The Mental Health Strategy for Canada to draw on the experience, knowledge and wisdom of thousands of people across the country and provide an opportunity for everyone’s efforts – large and small – to help bring about change. We are using this foundational document to map a course of action. Click on the links below for more information.
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This webinar offers insights on the mental health impacts of the high cost of living on diverse communities and explores the complex relationship between mental health and money, housing, food,…
A 2022 Canadian Alliance of Student Associations study found that 75 per cent of all post-secondary students report negative mental health experiences, and more than 25 per cent rate their…
Addressing stigma in health care is crucial for individuals with mental health or substance use issues. The Mental Health Commission of Canada has developed two tools, the Stigma Cultures in…
Mental health affects everyone, including health-care workers. This video tells the story of an individual who finds access to quality mental health care services — but only after an overwhelming…
Hear from health-care experts offering their insights on the stigma-free and inclusive dimension of the Quality Mental Health Care Framework, focusing on the crucial concept of structural stigma. Our expert…
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Roots of Hope is a community-led model that supports populations across Canada to reduce the impact of suicide in their local contexts. The model builds on community expertise to implement…