Self-rated mental health

Proportion of the population by perceived mental health status.

This indicator is measured in a number of Statistics Canada surveys, including the Canadian Social Survey (CSS), the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and others. The exact wording of this question varies slightly between some of these surveys.

For example, in the Canadian Social Survey (CSS) survey respondents are asked: 

In general, how is your mental health?

• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

In the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) respondents are asked:

In general, would you say your mental health is...?

• Excellent
• Very good
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

This indicator is measured through a number of Statistics Canada surveys. Estimates can vary between data sources due to differences in reference periods, targeted or sampled populations, data collection and other methodology.

• Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
  • Table 13-10-0096-03 – Perceived mental health, by age group
  • Table 13-10-0096-01 – Health characteristics, annual estimates
• Canadian Social Survey (CSS)]
  • Table 45-10-0079-01 – Perceived mental health, by gender and province
  • Table 45-10-0080-01 – Perceived mental health, by gender and other selected sociodemographic characteristic
• Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)
• Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth
  • Table 13-10-0763-01 – Health characteristics of children and youth aged 1 to 17 years, Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth 2019
• Canadian Housing Survey (CHS)
• Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians' Safety (Victimization)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians at Work and Home
• Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS)
• Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS)
  • Table 41-10-0021-01 – Self-perceived mental health and suicidal thoughts by Aboriginal identity, age group and sex
• Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS) : Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Your mental health (crowdsourcing)
• Survey on Mental Health and Stressful Events (SMHSE)

• Portrait of Youth in Canada: Data Visualization Tool (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Report – Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being (Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Report, June 23, 2022)
• Portrait of Youth in Canada: Physical Health & Behaviours (Statistics Canada - Infographics, February 1, 2021)
• Mental health of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic (Statistics Canada - Infographics, June 4, 2020)
• Activities and concerns of Canadian youth during the COVID-19 pandemic (Statistics Canada - Infographics, May 21, 2020)
• How are Canadians coping with the COVID-19 situation? (Statistics Canada - Infographics, April 8, 2020)

• Nationally, renters report lower quality of life than homeowners (The Daily, February 19, 2024)
• Areas with high rates of hate crime also report lower scores on quality of life indicators (The Daily, February 8, 2024)
• Health of Canadians – Health outcomes (Health of Canadians, September 13, 2023)
• Men's mental health: How are Canadian men doing? (StatsCAN Plus, June 12, 2023)
• Online digital media use and adolescent mental health (Health Reports, February 15, 2023)
• Chinese New Year and quality of life among Chinese in Canada (StatsCAN Plus, January 24, 2023)
• Profiles of mental health and their association with negative impacts and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Canadian perspective (Health Reports, August 18, 2022)
• Negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different mental health profiles (The Daily, August 18, 2022)
• Self-perceived mental health and mental health care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, September 8, 2021)
• Food insecurity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic (Health Reports, December 16, 2020)
• The mental health of population groups designated as visible minorities in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, September 2, 2020)
• The mental health of immigrants and refugees: Canadian evidence from a nationally linked database (Health Reports, August 19, 2020)
• Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 2019 (The Daily, July 23, 2020)
• Mental Health Status of Canadian Immigrants During the COVID-19 Pandemic (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, July 14, 2020)
• Gender differences in mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, July 9, 2020)
• Understanding the perceived mental health of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic (Health Reports, June 24, 2020)
• Indigenous people and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, June 23, 2020)
• Canadians' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic (The Daily, May 27, 2020)
• Self-perceived mental health and health-related behaviours of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, May 12, 2020)
• Canadians who report lower self-perceived mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic more likely to report increased use of cannabis, alcohol and tobacco (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, May 7, 2020)
• Canadians report lower self-perceived mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic (StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada, April 24, 2020)