The Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS) collects information about the mental health status of Canadians, as well as their access to and need for services and supports, whether formal or informal. This survey also aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health and evaluate changes in patterns of mental health, service use and functioning in the last 10 years.
The objectives of the MHACS are
- to assess the mental health status of Canadians on both illness and positive mental health continuums through selected mental and substance disorders, mental health problems, and well-being
- to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health by evaluating changes in patterns of mental health, service use and functioning since the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey
- to assess timely, adequate and appropriate access to and utilization of formal and informal mental health services and supports, as well as perceived needs
- to assess functioning, ability and disability in relation to mental health and illness
- to examine links between mental health and social, demographic, geographic and economic variables or characteristics (covariates), including health behaviours, health conditions and childhood experiences.
The information you provide may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.
Collection period:
From March 17 to July 31, 2022
Collection methods:
The 2022 MHACS is administered by computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS) covers the population 15 years of age and over as of March 1, 2022 living in the ten Canadian provinces. Excluded from the survey's coverage are: persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements, full-time members of the Canadian Forces, and persons living in collective dwellings, such as institutional residences.
The sample is selected from the population that completed the long questionnaire of the 2021 Census.
Survey participation:
Voluntary
Confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
Data sharing agreements
To avoid duplication of surveys and reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has signed agreements to share the data from this survey with provincial and territorial ministries of health, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. A data sharing agreement has also been made with the 'Institut de la statistique du Québec' and applies only to Québec respondents. Data shared with your ministry of health may also include identifiers such as name, address, telephone number and health card number. Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the 'Institut de la statistique du Québec' (if applicable), and local health authorities would receive only survey responses and your postal code. These organizations have agreed to keep the data confidential and use it only for statistical purposes.
Data sharing agreements
To reduce the number of questions in this questionnaire, Statistics Canada will use information from your tax forms submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency. With your consent, Statistics Canada will share this information from your tax forms with provincial and territorial ministries of health, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. A data sharing agreement has also been made with the 'Institut de la statistique du Québec' and applies only to respondents in Québec. These organizations have agreed to keep the information confidential and to use it only for statistical and research purposes.
Topics covered in the survey
The survey asks questions about
- health
- health care services
- lifestyle and social conditions
- mental health and well-being
- Prevention and detection of disease.
Published data
Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.
Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.
Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.
Survey-specific questions
- What is the purpose of this survey?
- What kinds of questions will I be asked?
- Do I have to participate in this survey?
- Who has access to the survey data that you collect?
- How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
- When and how will the results of the survey be made available to the public?
What is the purpose of this survey?
The main objective of this survey is to collect information about the mental health status of Canadians, as well as their access to and need for services and supports, whether formal or informal. This survey also intends to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health as well as evaluate changes in patterns of mental health, service use and functioning in the last ten years.
What kinds of questions will I be asked?
The survey asks a variety of questions about:
- the current state of your physical health, your mental health and your well-being,
- behaviours thought to be related to your mental health,
- your use of, and need for, formal and informal mental health care services and supports
- the social impacts of mental illness, and
- socio-demographic information about your household.
Do I have to participate in this survey?
Mental health and well-being touches everyone's life. More than one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. It is important that we hear from all sorts of people, including those with good mental health and those with mental health problems, to better understand mental health.
Your participation in this survey is voluntary. However, as each person selected represents about 1,000 other people, your participation is very important. It will help us to draw a complete picture of the mental health of Canadians.
Who has access to the survey data that you collect?
To avoid duplication of surveys and reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has signed agreements to share the data from this survey with provincial and territorial ministries of health, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. A data sharing agreement has also been made with the 'Institut de la statistique du Québec' and applies only to Québec respondents. These organizations have agreed to keep the data confidential and use it only for statistical purposes
How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information provided will remain confidential pursuant to the Statistics Act.
Statistics Canada takes the privacy of Canadians very seriously. Published data can never identify you or your household.
To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.
When and how will the results of the survey be made available to the public?
Results will be available in 2023. The survey results are made available to the public in many ways, including the Statistics Canada website, Research Data Centres, and the media.