Perceived mental health

Proportion of the population by perceived mental health.

Often reported as:

Proportion of the population reporting very good or excellent mental health.

Perceived mental health is an indicator of mental health status. Perceived mental health refers to the perception of a person's mental health in general, either by the person themselves, or, in the case of proxy response, by the person responding to the survey questionnaire on behalf of the intended respondent.

This indicator is measured in a number of Statistics Canada surveys.

In the Canadian Community Health Survey – Annual Component (CCHS) and the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY), survey respondents are asked:

In general, how is your mental health?

• 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 – Annual Component (CCHS)
  • Table 13-10-0905-01 - Health indicator statistics, annual estimates
  •  Table 13-10-0906-01 - Health indicator statistics, annual estimates, by household income quintile and highest level of education 
  • Table 13-10-0880-01 - Health indicators by visible minority and selected sociodemographic characteristics: Canada excluding territories, annual estimates
• Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY)
  • Table 13-10-0948-01 – Health indicator statistics for youth aged 12 to 17 years, youth reported
  • Table 13-10-0947-01 – Health indicator statistics for children and youth aged 1 to 17 years, parent reported
  • Table 13-10-0950-01 – Health indicator statistics for youth aged 12 to 17 years, youth reported, by household income quintile and highest level of parental education
  • Table 13-10-0949-01 – Health indicator statistics for children and youth aged 1 to 17 years, parent reported, by household income quintile and highest level of parental education
  • Table 13-10-0904-01- Changes in the health characteristics of youth between 2019 and 2023, Canadian Health Survey of Children and youth, 2023 Longitudinal sample
• Canadian Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CADS)
• Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS)
• Canadian Health and COVID-19 Survey (CHCS)
• Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS)
• Canadian Housing Survey (CHS)
• Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS)
• Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS)
• Canadian Oral Health Survey (COHS)
• 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 Survey on Disability (CSD)
• Canadian Veteran Health Survey (CVHS)
• Executive Work and Health Survey (EWHS)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians' Safety (Victimization)
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Social Identity
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians at Work and Home
• Indigenous Peoples Survey (IPS)
  • Table 41-10-0021-01 – Self-perceived mental health and suicidal thoughts by Aboriginal identity, age group and sex
  • Table 41-10-0067-01 – Self-perceived mental health of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit by age group and gender
• Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS)
  • Table 13-10-0465-01 – Mental health indicators
• National Cannabis Survey
• Public Service Employee Survey (PSES)
• Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS)
• Survey on Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals During the Pandemic (SAHCPDP)
• Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH)
• Survey on Health Care Access and Experiences – Primary and Specialist Care (SHCAE-PSC)
• Survey on Mental Health and Stressful Events (SMHSE)
• Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit (SSFNPMI)
• Survey Series on People and their Communities (SSPC)
• Time Use Survey

• Selected indicators of quality of life in Canada (Statistics Canada – Data Visualization Products)
• 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)

• Health of Canadians – Health outcomes (Health of Canadians, March 4, 2025)
• Mental Illness Awareness Week: Youth mental health in the spotlight (StatsCan Plus, October 7, 2024)
• 2023 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth — Changes in the mental health of respondents from the 2019 survey (The Daily, September 10, 2024)
• Mental health among women and girls of diverse backgrounds in Canada before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: An intersectional analysis (Health Reports, July 17, 2024)
• Recently evicted people tend to be younger, have financial difficulties, and report having low trust in others (The Daily, April 12, 2024)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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 immigrants and refugees: Canadian evidence from a nationally linked database (Health Reports, August 19, 2020)
• Understanding the perceived mental health of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic (Health Reports, June 24, 2020)