What is mental health?

Achieving mental health is about striking a balance in the social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental aspects of our lives. Reaching a balance is a learning process and it is ongoing. At times, we may tip the balance too much in one direction and have to find our footing again. Our personal balance is highly individual, and our challenge is to stay mentally healthy by finding and keeping that balance. [Read more:]

• Mental health for life
• Mental illness affects everyone
• Mental illness is treatable
• Common mental illnesses:
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Depressive disorders
  • Schizophrenia
  • Eating disorders, personality disorders, and organic brain disorders
• Getting help

Why does mental health in the workplace matter?

Many people face mental health problems during their prime working years:

• Depression will rank second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020¹
• Disability represents anywhere from 4% to 12% of payroll costs in Canada; mental health claims (especially depression) have overtaken cardiovascular disease as the fastest growing category of disability costs in Canada²

The Canadian economy loses billions to mental health problems:

• In 1998, Health Canada conservatively estimated that the economic burden of mental health problems was $14.4 billion a year. More recent calculations, which include indirect costs, suggest that upwards of $30 billion is lost to the Canadian economy annually due to mental health and addiction problems⁴

High stress levels and mental health problems can cause other health conditions:

• For example, excessive stress has been linked to infectious disease and cardiovascular problems, higher incidence of back pain, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), colorectal cancer⁵

Accommodating mental health problems at work makes good business sense:

• The costs for providing accommodations are fairly low; most cost well under $500¹⁰
• For those who get access to treatment, the employer will save between $5000 to $10,000 per employee per year in the cost of prescription drugs, sick leave, and average wage replacement¹¹

[More facts.]

Fact sheets

• Anxiety Disorders and Phobias
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depression
• Depression in the Workplace
• Eating Disorders
• Getting Help: When and How
• Mental Illnesses
• Mental Illness in the Family
• Myths of Mental Illness
• Stigma and Mental Illness
• Stress