Major Findings

1. Despite most respondents (72%) feeling confident that they would know where to get mental health care if they needed it, most do not believe that their needs would be met (only 32%) .In the past year 39% of those who accessed mental health supports used in-person services, 31% accessed only virtual services, and 30% accessed both in-person and virtual services. Respondents who used entirely in-person services are more likely to report being satisfied with their care (74%) compared to virtual (63%) or hybrid (68%). 
2.  Financial concerns remain a major factor of negative mental health among Canadians. Almost two-fifths (39%) of respondents feel the economic downturn is impacting their mental health. Those with lower income or who are in financial trouble are more likely to have high anxiety and depression and indicate signs of alcohol and cannabis dependency, are less able to handle their stress well and are less likely to say they feel happy.Suicide ideation among Canadians experiencing financial challenges is extremely high with 41% reporting having thought about suicide in the last year.
3. The impacts of inflation are affecting Canadians with 24% reporting having gone into debt as a result. There is a correlation between having experiencing debt and high self-rated anxiety and depression, indications of alcohol and cannabis dependency and severe mental health symptoms. 
4. Housing and food insecurity remains high with 23% of Canadians concerned about their ability to making rent or mortgage payments, and 37% struggling to adequately feed themselves or their families. These numbers have increased slightly (3% and 2% respectively since Poll 16). Food and housing insecurity is tied to high levels of anxiety . 
5. There has been an increase of 11% (from 18% to 29%) in Canadians citing an inability to payas a reason for not accessing mental health care despite needing it. This is among the top three reasons given for not seeking out care, others include preferring to manage yourself (30%) and not knowing where to get help (29%). There has also been an increase in Canadians paying for mental health services out of pocket (from 23% in May 2023 to 30%) due to not having sufficient coverage through their benefits. 
6.  More than one quarter of Canadians (27%) are currently dealing with chronic pain. Although more prevalent among older respondents (35%), more than one in seven (14%) younger Canadians (18-34 years old) also report currently experiencing chronic pain. There are correlations between chronic pain and possible alcohol and cannabis dependency, burn out, anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation. 
7. There are also ties between housing and food insecurity and those reporting chronic pain indicating being more likely to experience both and to be impacted by the economic downturn and impacts of inflation.
8. The most common ways of dealing with pain are over-the-counter pain killers (57%), non-pharmacological strategies (52%), and prescriptions(24%).