2023-09-13 18:25:58
Canadians are generally living longer and healthier lives, but their mental health has declined, as indicated by increasing prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders in the population, a new report reveals. Statistics Canada on the health of the Canadian population, released Wednesday.
In 2021, more than half (59.7%) of Canadians aged 12 and older rated their overall health as very good or excellent.
As for life expectancy, it has increased over the past 40 years, but in 2020 and 2021 it has decreased by more than half a year due to COVID-19 and the increase in associated deaths to the harms of substances, notes the report.
The proportion of people who reported that their mental health was very good or excellent, however, decreased from 72.4% in 2015 to 59.0% in 2021.
In 2021, more than 3.4 million Canadians aged 12 and older (10.4%) reported being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and more than 3.1 million (9.6%) reported having been diagnosed with a mood disorder.
In Quebec, since 2018, the number of antidepressant prescriptions has been increasing in all regions, both among young people and adults.
According to the Régie de l’assurance santé du Québec, 35% more adolescents and 15% more people over 21 used antidepressants between 2018 and 2022. Lack of access to psychotherapy and other resources are at stake.
According to Statistics Canada, anxiety and mood disorders affect vulnerable populations. For example, among sexual minorities, only 52.8% of gay or lesbian people and 21.6% of those who identify as bisexual or pansexual reported that their mental health was very good or excellent, compared to heterosexual Canadians (60, 1%).
Among First Nations members living off-reserve, the finding is also alarming. A higher proportion (20.4%) reported having anxiety disorders compared to non-Indigenous people (10.1%). Similarly, a higher proportion (19.0%) reported having a mood disorder, compared to non-Indigenous people (9.6%).
Obesity on the rise, lung cancer on the decline
From 2015 to 2021, the prevalence of certain chronic health problems also increased, notes Statistics Canada, notably high blood pressure (from 16.9% to 17.7%), heart disease (from 4.4% to 4.9%) and obesity (from 26.1% to 29.2%).
However, the proportion of men suffering from lung cancer has decreased from 72.2 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 62.5 in 2021.
The report also looked at the proportion of Canadians with a regular health care provider, and found that 4.7 million citizens (14.4% of the population) did not.
First Nations and sexual minorities are more affected in this regard. For example, fewer bisexual or pansexual Canadians (77.4%) and Indigenous people living off-reserve (81.2%) (77.4%) report having a usual health care provider, the report concludes. .
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