Report highlights most effective supports for workers struggling with mental health challenges
A major national survey conducted in June 2025 among 5,008 employed Canadians reveals that mental health challenges are widespread in the workforce.
Forty percent of workers have been diagnosed with a mental illness or neurodevelopmental condition at some point in their lives. Younger people are more likely to have received a diagnosis (18–34: 45%, 35–54: 36%, 55+: 31%), as are members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community (58%), says the report from Mental Health Research Canada and Canada Life.
Women are more likely than men to have received a mental illness diagnosis (43% vs. 32%), but neurodevelopmental diagnoses are similar between genders (11% vs. 12%).
Despite this high prevalence, only 42% of those with a diagnosis have disclosed it at work. Disclosure is more common among middle-aged employees (35–54: 45%), women (45%), public sector workers (46%), and those in smaller organizations (50%).
Most who do disclose share it with a co-worker (59%) or supervisor (54%), while only 21% tell human resources.
Men are more likely to disclose to HR (28% vs. 16% for women), while women are more likely to talk to co-workers (66% vs. 48%), says the report Mental Health in the Workplace 2025.
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