Interesting Facts

Eight in ten Canadians (81%) strongly agree that taking steps to ensure good mental health is just as important as taking steps to be physically fit.
- Ipsos-Reid, May 2005

The average length of time it takes someone on a mental health leave to return to full-time work is 40 days, but for many it can take years.
- Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addictions and Mental Health, 2004

46.9% of Canadians say they are overweight or obese.
- Healthy Canadians - A Federal Report on Comparable Health Indicators, 2004

According to data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, 18% of people who do not seek help for their emotions, mental health or use of alcohol or drugs report that they are afraid to ask for help, or they are afraid of what others would think.
- The Daily, Statistics Canada, September 3, 2003

Almost 1 in 10 current drinkers report that they experienced harm from their drinking during the past year. 5.4% report that their drinking had harmed their physical health.
- Canadian Addiction Survey, November 2004

About 70% of workers in the "sandwich generation", aged 45 to 64 and caught between the demands of raising children and caring for aging parents, reported stress compared with about 61% of workers with no child care or elder care responsibilities.
- The Daily, Statistics Canada, September 28, 2004

Senior management's interest in employees' well-being is the most important driver of employee engagement.
- The 2003 Tower Perrin, Talent Report - Canada

Canada's working-age population is becoming older. In 2001, people aged 45 to 64 accounted for one-quarter of Canada's total population compared with only 20% in 1991. In 2011, these individuals are expected to represent almost one-third of Canada's total population.
- Statistics Canada, 2002

Employees experiencing high work/life conflict have absenteeism rates three times those of employees with low work/life conflict.
- Duxbury, Higgings: "Work-Life Balance in the New Millennium: Where Are We? Where Do We Need to Go?", 2001

Canada's economy loses an estimated $30 billion annually in lost productivity caused by mental health and addiction problems.
- Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addictions and Mental Health

A recent study by compensation consultant Watson Wyatt Worldwide found the estimated direct cost of absenteeism to business is 7.1 per cent of the payroll, up from 5.6 per cent in 1997. Again, stress-related disorders accounted for the lion's share. In 2000, the only year studied, there was an additional 10 per cent indirect cost for overtime, replacement personnel and loss of productivity.
- The Globe and Mail, July 15, 2002

Health Canada estimates that lost worker productivity due to mental health issues (including stress) drains about $16 billion from the country's economy every year.
- Workplace Today, January 2002

Three in ten (27%) Canadians experience stress in trying to cope with jobs, family, finances and world events.
- Ipsos-Reid, 2001

Canadians mention work/job (45%) as their greatest cause of stress
- Ipsos-Reid, 2000

42 percent of Canadians in our national survey reported that workplace stress has a negative effect on how well they perform their jobs.
- Canadian Mental Health Association, 1999

Nearly three million Canadians will experience depression at one point in their life. Most often, it affects people in their working years, between the ages of 24 and 44. Help can make a difference. Four out of five people with depression can be successfully treated.
- Canadian Mental Health Association, 1996

Nearly one in ten adult Canadians report having problems with their drinking. Problem drinking most commonly affects physical health and financial position.
- Canadian Centre of Substance Abuse, 1999

For couples with children, one crucial task in maintaining a good marriage is to ensure they make 'us' time in addition to family time.
- American Psychological Association, 1996

Family and friends play an important role in alleviating the depression, guilt, and isolation trauma survivors often experience.
- National Centre for PTSD, 2001

Women in emotionally abusive relationships try to leave their partner an average of 5 times before ending the relationship.
- Journal of Family Violence, 1997

Nearly one quarter of women (22%) who have experienced wife assault never told anyone about the abuse.
- Statistics Canada, 1994