Mental health-related disabilities, 2022

Release date: January 22, 2025
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Infographic: Mental health-related disabilities, 2022
Description: Mental health-related disabilities, 2022

In 2022, 10.4% of Canadians (or nearly 3.1 million individuals) aged 15 and over had a mental health-related disability.Note 1

Mental health-related disabilities were more prevalent in the younger age groups

  • 15 to 24 years: 13.6%
  • 25 to 44 years: 11.9%
  • 45 to 64 years: 10.3%
  • 65 years and over: 6.1%

Women+ aged 15 to 24 (19%) were more likely to have a mental health-related disability than men+ in the same age group (8%).

Most common co-occurring types of disability among persons with a mental health-related disability:

  • Pain-related disability (59%)
  • Flexibility disability (35%)
  • Learning disability (35%)

More than half (54%) of persons with a mental health-related disability experienced barriers in terms of behaviours, misconceptions or assumptions made about them in the 12 months preceding the survey.Note 2

This rate was higher among those with a more severe mental health-related disability (65%) than those with a less severe mental health-related disability (47%)

35% of employed persons with a mental health-related disability who had unmet needs for required workplace accommodations did not make their employer aware of the accommodations they required.Note 3

The most common reasons why they did not ask for accommodations

  • They were uncomfortable asking (56%)
  • They feared a negative outcome (47%)

35% of students with a mental health-related disability studied part-time because of that disability along with other types of disability they may have.Note 4

Persons with a more severe mental health-related disability (68%) were more likely than those with a less severe mental health-related disability (53%) to have unmet needs for health care therapies and services.

Note: The Canadian Survey on Disability covers Canadians aged 15 years and over who experience limitations in their daily activities because of a long-term condition or health-related problem.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2022.

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2025

Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

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