In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. By age 40, about 50% of the population will have or have had a mental illness. Major depression affects approximately 5.4% of the Canadian population, and anxiety disorders affect 4.6% of the population [1].

About 1% of Canadians will experience bipolar disorder (formerly called “manic depression”), and another 1% will experience schizophrenia. Eating disorders affect approximately 1 million Canadians – between 0.3-1% of the population. They impact women at a rate ten times that of men, and have the highest rate of mortality of any mental illness [2]. Substance use disorders affect approximately 6% of Canadians [3]. Approximately 20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder [4].

The above is an excerpt taken from the Canadian Mental Health Association [5] and is just the tip of the iceberg. Mental illness is a serious matter as it affects people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures. Therefore, ensuring that you are taking care of your mental health is paramount to your overall health wellbeing.