Mental Health and Well-being Reports

For the most recent data from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health, visit the Mental Health, Addiction and Substance Use Health Dashboard.

The Ottawa Student Drug Use and Health Report 2021 offers a snapshot of the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and substance use health of youth (grades 7-12) in Ottawa using data from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS).

November 2021 Population Survey

Key Findings from the November 2021 Survey:

  • The current survey findings reflect a point in time in November 2021 when COVID-19 cases were stable, and the province was in a re-opening phase. Results for self-rated mental health and well-being may be sensitive to changes in policies related to COVID-19.
  • While overall results show an improvement compared to 2020, some indicators remain worse than pre-pandemic levels.
    • One in four Ottawa residents (26%) rated their mental health and emotional well-being as ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ (vs. 6% in 2015-16 and 9% in 2017-18).
    • Half of Ottawa residents (52%) reported a strong sense of community belonging (vs. 66% in 2015-16 and 67% in 2017-18).
  • There continues to be evidence that some groups are more affected, or are faring worse, than other groups within the population. These groups include people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQ2S+, people who identify as racialized, younger age groups (under 55 years), people with children (under 17), and people with low income (less than $60,000). 
  • One in four Ottawa residents (24%) wanted to talk to someone about their mental health and did not know who to reach out to. This is unchanged from 2020 (25%).
  • New questions were added to the current survey to better understand the stigma that exists in the community around mental health and substance use health. 
    • Many of the findings were promising. For example, 90% or more of Ottawa residents strongly or somewhat agreed that mental health conditions and substance use health conditions can affect anyone, deserve healthcare, and need the right treatment and support. 
    • There were, however, indications that stigma continues to be a barrier for people with mental health conditions, and especially for those with substance use health conditions.  For example, less than half of Ottawa residents (46%) agreed they would hire someone with a substance use disorder, and 62% agreed they would feel comfortable working with someone with a substance use disorder.
  • In summary, while encouraging to see some improvement in 2021 compared to 2020, pre-pandemic data, feedback from service providers and from community partners and residents suggest that mental health and substance use health challenges persist for many Ottawa residents. 

Report: Status of Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health in Ottawa During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fall of 2021. Results of a population survey November 5 to 18, 2021 [PDF 1MB] 

October 2020 Population Survey

Key Findings from the October 2020 Survey:  

  • Overall, in October 2020, Ottawa residents continued to report worsened mental health and emotional well-being, loneliness, weaker community connectedness and concern for burnout. 
  • While most of these indicators have remained stable since June, some groups continue to be more affected – or are faring worse than in June, and some appear to be reporting signs of improvement in their mental health. 
  • Of concern, Ottawa residents that generally fared worse in October or continued to report poorer mental health, stress, loneliness or concern for burnout more than others include: women, younger adults (<45 years), people with a disability, people identifying as racialized or a visible minority, people not born in Canada and people identifying as LGBTQ2S+. 
  • There appears to a positive effect of school and daycare re-openings on family mental health. Ottawa parents are showing some indication of coping better and expressed some small improvements over concern for their children around missing social interactions and school supports. However, some parents continue to struggle. Generally, these included parents with lower household income and parents with a disability. 
  • One-quarter (25%) of Ottawa residents wanted to talk to someone about their emotional state or mental health but did not know where to turn. While improvements can still be made and it was not significantly different from June (29%), this optimistic shift was seen across most population groups and may be an indication of the work and positive strides made by community partners and providers to increase awareness and access to mental health services. 

Report: Status of Mental Health in Ottawa During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fall of 2020. Results of a population survey October 8 to 20, 2020 [PDF 876k]

June 2020 Population Survey

Key Findings from the June 2020 Survey:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic is a very stressful event for Ottawa residents and communities in Ottawa.
  • Ottawa residents are reporting worsened mental health and emotional well-being, loneliness and weaker community connectedness.
  • Three in ten Ottawa residents want to talk to someone about their emotional state or mental health, but do not know who to talk to.
  • Some Ottawa residents are affected by poorer mental health, stress and isolation more than others, including: parents of school-aged children, younger adults (<45 years), those self-identifying as a visible minority or with a disability, those with lower household income (<$60,000), those working with regular public interactions and those not working due to the pandemic.
  • Following two and a half months of school and daycare closures, a high proportion (84%) of parents are concerned about their child(ren) missing social interactions and connecting with their school or daycare communities (70%).
  • Two-thirds of parents with school-aged children at home are concerned about their child(ren)’s mental health and emotional well-being.

Report: Status of Mental Health in Ottawa During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Results of a population survey June 3 to 8, 2020 [PDF 802k]

This research report describes views and experiences of Ottawa’s Black community who participated in the Mental Health of Ottawa’s Black Community research study. The report includes both quantitative and qualitative findings on factors which influence mental health and recommendations to improve experiences and services for this population.

This report describes the mental health of Ottawa residents, including the characteristics and factors that promote mental health in our community and the number of residents seeking care for mental illness and addictions.

This report reviews key local data from the Status of Mental Health in Ottawa Report 2018, highlighting four evidence-informed factors that have a significant impact on Ottawa residents’ mental health, including resilience, family relationships, social connectedness, health equity and stigma

Archived Mental Health and Well-being Content

Fostering Mental Health in Our Community, 2015

In 2015, the Ottawa Board of Health set Fostering Mental Health in our Community as a strategic priority to promote mental health across the lifespan in Ottawa. This background document sets out three main areas of focus including mental health awareness and stigma reduction, building a resilient community and suicide prevention. 

Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Report, 2014

The Ottawa Student Drug Use and Health Report 2014 offers a snapshot of health risk behaviours among youth in Ottawa using data from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS), including mental health. 

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