Pilot Study on Everyday Well-Being (PSEW)

Thank you for your participation!

As of March 31, 2022, data collection for the Pilot Study on Everyday Well-being using the Vitali-T-Stat app is complete.

Statistics Canada would like to thank Canadians who participated in the survey and used the application to monitor their mental health and well-being! On June 30, 2022, the Vitali-T-Stat app will be removed from the App Store and Google Play Store and you will no longer be able to sign in to the app.

Looking for mental health and well-being help and support resources?

We invite you to consult the following resources:

  • Mental health and wellness
  • Wellness Together Canada
  • Mental health and substance use support, resources, and counselling with a mental health professional
    • Adults can text WELLNESS to 741741 to chat with a volunteer Crisis Responder 24/7
    • Front line workers can text FRONTLINE to 741741 for immediate support for front line workers

Your participation is important

The goal of collecting and analyzing this real-time, self-reported data is to gain a better understanding of the factors, particularly the impact of arts and cultural activities, that can influence the day-to-day changes in emotional moods and mental states of participants, especially at a time when COVID-19 has had an impact on the physical and emotional well-being of so many Canadians.

These data could be used to better understand the factors that can promote emotional and mental resilience, which could result in the development of programs and services that improve the quality of life of all Canadians.

Although voluntary, your participation is appreciated and will help ensure we gather accurate information about the well-being of Canadians.

The information you provide may 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:

Starts on January 10, 2022 


Collection methods:

App


Survey participation:

Voluntary

Anybody age 15+ living in Canada in the ten provinces or three territories may be eligible to participate.

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.

Statistics Canada has consulted with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at every step in the planning and development of this app to ensure the technology is secure, your identity is never disclosed and your privacy is always protected.

The responses collected are transmitted directly to Statistics Canada’s secure Electronic Collection Portal. No response is stored on your mobile device.

To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.

Topics covered in the survey

The survey asks questions about

  • general well-being
  • connections between activities and well-being.

Published data

Dates for the release from the Pilot Study will be determined at a later date.

Survey-specific questions

Is this a legitimate Statistics Canada study?

Yes.

Am I required to complete this study?

No. Participation is voluntary.

Who can participate in this study?

Anyone living in Canada over 15 years of age with a compatible smartphone or tablet can download Vitali-T-Stat from Google Play or the Apple Store to participate. You can participate with or without an invitation code. Please share this information with your friends so they can download the app too!

Why are you conducting this study?

The purpose of this study is to better understand the everyday well-being of Canadians by asking in the moment questions about their activities and feelings. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence well-being, particularly arts and culture activities, which are the main focus of this pilot.

How long will it take me to complete the study?

Daily well-being checks should take about 2 minutes to complete. You can choose how often you want to participate by customizing the number of daily notifications in your settings menu. We are asking you to participate in the study for one month.

Why are some things that are prohibited due to COVID-19 restrictions included as potential responses in this study?

Some of the response categories to the questions 'Where are you?', 'What are you doing?', or 'Who are you with?' may not be options due to COVID-19 restrictions in your region. They have still been included because provincial and municipal restrictions to the pandemic vary and may change during the collection period. Additionally, many activities that used to be available in-person are now being conducted virtually. For example, you might be visiting a museum through an online exhibit while still being at your own home.

Why do I need a password and security question?

Vitali-T-Stat requests users to respond to daily questionnaires to identify how their feelings change in different settings. By password protecting the app, we can ensure your data trend has not been impacted by others who may use your phone and access the app. Also, Vitali-T-Stat provides users with a Results menu, which displays a trend of your self-assessed feelings and how they relate to what you are doing, who you are with, and where you are. By password protecting the app, we can ensure your trend is not viewed by others unless you log into the app and choose to share it with them.

Statistics Canada does not collect your password when you create it, and therefore will not be able to assist you in resetting your password if required. The security question provides a second tier of security which you can use to reset your password.

What if I forgot my password or security question?

You can change your password through the "Forgot password?" option on the login screen. You will need to answer your security question in order to access the password reset function. If you have forgotten the answer to your security question, you will need to delete the app and download it again. Your previous responses will no longer be accessible to you through your My Results menu, as the app will identify you as a new user for security purposes.

Is the information I provide confidential?

Yes, Statistics Canada guarantees the confidentiality of your responses under the Statistics Act.

Statistics Canada has consulted with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at every step in the planning and development of this app to ensure the technology is secure, your identity is never disclosed and your privacy is always protected.

The responses collected are transmitted directly to Statistics Canada’s secure Electronic Collection Portal. No response is stored on your mobile device.

Any research, reports or publications based on this study will use aggregated data only and will not identify you or any individual as being affiliated with this study.

The Vitali-T-Stat app fully complies with all privacy and security regulations in place to protect Canadians' information.

The Vitali-T-Stat app helps us collect the responses you provide to questionnaires. The responses collected are transmitted directly to Statistics Canada’s secure Electronic Collection Portal. No response is stored on your mobile device. This app does not collect data, such as location, from your device.

Vitali-T-Stat uses Statistics Canada's Electronic Collection Portal to collect your responses. For more information about the security features in place to protect your data, please visit Security.

To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.

What does the Results menu tell me? How can I interpret my results?

The data visualizations on the Results menu display a snapshot of your self-assessed feelings and how they relate to what you are doing, who you are with, and where you are.

For ease of interpretation, your activities and companions have been grouped. Please note, all questions about feelings are based on a scale of 0 meaning "not at all", and 10 meaning "completely". Based on this, a high rating of feeling happy compared to a high rating of feeling anxious would be interpreted quite differently.

These results are reported in real time and have not been validated by Statistics Canada. Caution should be exercised when interpreting the data.

Who can I call if I have technical difficulties?

If you are experiencing display issues, crashes, or other bugs please contact us at 1-877-949-9492.

Can I download the app on multiple devices and sync it?

The app does not have syncing capabilities.

Your participation in the study is based on the device you first downloaded the Vitali-T-Stat app on. If you download the app on a different device, you will be identified as a new user for security purposes and your previous responses will no longer be accessible to you through the Results menu.

Can I participate in this survey without a smartphone?

As a practice, Statistics Canada surveys are usually accessible through multiple methods, including by telephone or online electronic questionnaires. In this case, this study aims to test mobile apps as a data collection method. We acknowledge that not everyone has access to a smartphone, which is why participation in this survey is strictly voluntary. Rest assured that in future iteration of this survey, we will ensure that more than one mode of collection will be available.

Looking for well-being resources?

Please make use of either of the following resources or contact a healthcare professional: Mental Health and Wellness

Mental health and wellness resources compiled by the Government of Canada Wellness Together Canada

Mental health and substance use support, resources, and counselling with a mental health professional
Adults: Text WELLNESS to 741741
Front Line Workers: Text FRONTLINE to 741741

Brochure

 PDF Version (PDF, 919.36 KB)

Pilot Study on Everyday Well-Being

It's easy to participate - just follow these steps

  • Install the app
    • Search for Vitali-T-Stat by Statistics Canada on your App Store. Follow the prompts.
  • Tell us about yourself
    • Click START, enter your identification code (found in the letter) and answer a few questions (only asked once).
  • Next steps
    • You will receive notifications each day to complete well-being checks. With each notification, log in to the app and select START to answer simple questions.
  • Your results
    • Select Results to review graphs visualizing your well-being!

Your data will be safe. Your privacy will be respected. Your responses will remain anonymous. For more information on how Statistics Canada protects your privacy and anonymity, visit: Security.

Contact us Monday to Friday (except holidays), from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Eastern Time): 1-877-949-9492 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629*) infostats@statcan.gc.ca

*If you use an operator-assisted relay service, you can call us during regular business hours. You do not need to authorize the operator to contact us.

For more information about this survey