Survey finds Canada’s mental health services are failing

"Mental health has been a poor cousin of Medicare, and substance use health has been an orphan. This needs to change dramatically."

That stark warning comes from Glenn Brimacombe, chair of the public affairs committee with the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) and is also the director of policy and public affairs at the Canadian Psychological Association.

As CAMIMH releases its third annual National Report Card on mental health and substance use services in Canada, the results paint a troubling picture: minimal progress, widespread failures, and a deepening gap between government promises and real-world outcomes.

For workplace health and safety leaders—many of whom see firsthand the impact of mental health struggles on employees—the findings serve as a wake-up call. Governments are not moving fast enough, and neither are employers.

System stuck in neutral

The CAMIMH report gathers feedback from Canadians coast to coast, grading provincial and federal governments on their efforts to improve mental health and substance use services. The results? Failing marks dominate the scorecards.

CAMIMH 3rd Annual Report Card – Selected Findings

^{* Arrows represent the comparison to last year's findings.}

"Canadians have consistently told us that dealing with mental health and substance use health is a top priority, particularly when it comes to improving timely access," Brimacombe says. "What we see right now is a gap between what Canadians expect and what governments are actually delivering."

While some provinces show slight improvements, such as Ontario’s structured psychotherapy program and British Columbia’s Integrated Youth Services model, these remain isolated efforts rather than system-wide reforms. Brimacombe warns that progress is too slow and too small to make a meaningful difference.

"Governments aren’t standing still, but they’re not moving nearly fast enough," he explains. "We see pockets of excellence across the country, but they’re not fully integrated into the healthcare system. Scaling up investment is critical."

Workplace fallout

For safety leaders in industries like construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing—where mental health and substance use challenges often intersect with high-risk environments—these findings hit close to home. The report highlights a growing concern: employers are also falling behind in providing adequate mental health benefits.

"Employers are significantly behind the curve when it comes to ensuring their employees have adequate mental health coverage," Brimacombe notes. In 2022, the average annual maximum for mental health counseling was $1,600—a 23% drop year-over-year. Shockingly, half of Canadian employers cap mental health benefits at $1,000 or less, despite recommendations from the Canadian Psychological Association that coverage should be at least $3,500 per year.

In heavy industries where workplace injuries can lead to chronic pain and, in turn, opioid addiction, this lack of support has devastating consequences.

"It’s not just governments that need to step up—employers do too," Brimacombe stresses. "The evidence is clear: investing in employee mental health leads to better productivity, fewer absences, and a stronger bottom line. It’s a return on investment, not just a cost."

Call for investment

The report calls for a doubling of provincial mental health and substance use spending—from 6% to 12% of total healthcare budgets, bringing Canada in line with OECD countries like France, Germany, and the UK. It also urges both governments and employers to prioritize faster investments in accessible, publicly funded mental health services.

For safety leaders, this is a moment to demand change—both from policymakers and from within their own organizations.

"We need governments to stop just talking about mental health and actually act," Brimacombe says. "And employers? They need to recognize that supporting mental health isn’t optional—it’s a fundamental part of workplace safety."

As mental health and substance use crises continue to rise, workplaces must prepare for the real-world impact. The message from CAMIMH’s report is clear: without bold action, both governments and employers risk failing the very people they claim to support.