Annual Report 2021 – 2022

In some ways, there has never been a more pivotal time to work in mental health. Two years of COVID uncertainty have had an impact on many, at great cost to their well-being. These are the people at the heart of the work of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). 

From our collaborations with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction on a series of polls conducted throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen levels of depression and anxiety increase and remain high. We’ve seen their disproportionate impact on youth, low-income families, people in rural and remote areas, and many other groups. We’ve seen growing gaps in access to timely, quality, culturally appropriate mental health and substance use health care. But with these findings we’ve also seen an opportunity to do better.

If year one of the pandemic was about weathering the storm, year two was about surveying the damage and rebuilding stronger.

As you’ll see in this report, our efforts to do so homed in on real-world impacts — the kind that would contribute to future advancement while bolstering support for the people who needed it now.