Thrive Toronto Mental Health Report Card

An Asian man admiring views from a high-rise in Toronto.

The mental health of Torontonians is getting worse, show the findings of Toronto’s first report card on mental wellness in the city.

Overview

Mental health is one of the most important aspects of life. Yet there has been evidence of deteriorating mental health in Toronto in recent years.

This prompted a broad coalition of organizations, including Wellesley Institute, to come together – called Thrive Toronto – to stimulate meaningful, coordinated action.

Because action must start with fully understanding the problem, Thrive Toronto developed this report card.

The report card represents both the first-ever agreed-upon way to measure mental health in our city, and, the first-ever assessment of mental health and well-being in Toronto.

The plan is to repeat this report card assessment in future years to monitor progress and to identify trends and future problems.

Key findings

#1: The mental health of Torontonians is getting worse.

The percentage of Torontonians who say they have good mental health declined substantially between 2015 and 2022 – from 73% to 52%.

#2: Not everyone is equally affected and concerning patterns are emerging.

Younger age groups were less likely to report good mental health.

Fewer people identifying as 2SLGBTQ+ reported good mental health compared to the rest of the population.

People who reported experiencing discrimination or adverse childhood experiences were less likely to report having good mental health.

#3: There are many possible reasons for poorer mental health.

Working conditions, financial difficulties and time pressures were among the top reported stressors in Toronto.

Groups facing greater social and economic challenges were less likely to report good mental health.

55% of young people reported the COVID-19 pandemic had a moderate to extreme negative impact on their mental health.

46% of young people reported feeling depressed about the future because of climate change.

#4: Services are meeting the needs for those who can access them, but too many cannot get access.

76% of needs identified for clients receiving community mental health services were met. Yet demands for support services are rapidly rising, with waitlists nearly doubling between 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 alone.

Recommendations

#1: Target strategies and support to populations most impacted.

Different groups are experiencing declining mental health at different rates. We must work with these communities to develop real and relevant solutions to address their mental wellness. This includes policy solutions to improve the social determinants of health.

#2: Strengthen social support networks and connections to communities.

A lack of a support system and a low sense of belonging are associated with lower levels of mental health. Strategies to foster a sense of community, strengthen social ties and reduce isolation and loneliness in school environments, neighbourhoods and communities will support mental wellness.

#3: Promote high-quality, thriving work environments.

Poor-quality work environments, low job security, financial pressures and struggles meeting basic needs are linked with lower levels of mental health. Promoting thriving work environments and ensuring everyone has access to resources needed to thrive will increase mental health.

#4: Increase access to mental health promoting services across the continuum.

While most people in Toronto accessing community mental health services generally have their needs met, waitlists have been growing and many people who need services are going without. For Toronto to meet the needs, greater attention to key support services will be needed.