Many Canadians happy, but mental health flatlines or worse for some, new data shows

New survey results show that, despite the ending of most pandemic restrictions there have been small improvements to mental health but many Canadians remain very anxious and depressed.

February 2023 data from Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) shows the mental stability of Canadians has flatlined since the summer of 2022.

As vaccinations became available and social distancing measures were eased, the mental health of Canadians showed some improvement, but new MHRC data shows Canadians' mental health has plateaued, and in some cases, gotten worse.

Since the first such survey in April 2020, the organization has asked 40,000 Canadians questions about their mental health. The latest poll (#15) was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3, with a sample of 3,238 adult Canadians.

Overall, the MHRC data shows a majority of Canadians are happy (81 per cent), but for those who reported feeling anxious and depressed, their mental health is not getting better.

In all 15 polls, the MHRC measures responses on the same key mental health indicators, including levels of anxiety, depression, symptoms of burnout, and stress.

"Although they've improved (mental health indicators), we've noticed a bit of a flatline the last few polls where those numbers have really not dropped back down to pre-pandemic levels," Dr. David Dozois, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Western University told CTVNews.ca in an interview on Mar. 1.

Dozois, who is a board member for MHRC, works with the organization to expand information on the impacts on Canadians' mental well-being.