What did Canadians do for their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
During the pandemic in early 2021, many Canadian adults reported taking active care of their mental health by engaging in a range of activities that are accessible to most on a daily basis.
- 86% communicated with friends and family
- 55% participated in hobbies
- 56% exercised outdoors
- 43% exercised indoors
- 32% prayed or sought spiritual guidance
- 22% meditated
- 26% changed their food choices
- 19% changed their sleep patterns
- 10% communicated with a professional
Different sociodemographic groups favoured some activities over others
- Gender: Women were generally more likely to engage in activities for their mental health than men.
- Age: Adults younger than 65 years of age were more likely to change their sleeping and eating patterns for their mental health than older adults.
- Place of residence: Canadians from rural areas were more likely to exercise outdoors for their mental health than Canadians from urban centres.
- Racialized groups: Canadians from racialized groups were more likely to pray or seek spiritual guidance for their mental health than those from non-racialized groups.
Activity | Women | Men | Less than 65 years old | 65 years and older | Rural areas | Urban centres | Non-racialized groups | Racialized groups |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Communicated with friends and family | 90% | 82% | 86% | 85% | 88% | 86% | 88% | 81% |
Participated in hobbies | 58% | 52% | 55% | 55% | 57% | 54% | 58% | 47% |
Exercised outdoors | 59% | 52% | 57% | 51% | 61% | 55% | 60% | 46% |
Exercised indoors | 47% | 39% | 44% | 40% | 39% | 44% | 42% | 46% |
Prayed or sought spiritual guidance | 37% | 26% | 30% | 38% | 30% | 32% | 27% | 45% |
Meditated | 26% | 18% | 24% | 17% | 18% | 23% | 20% | 29% |
Changed their food choices | 29% | 23% | 29% | 16% | 23% | 27% | 24% | 31% |
Changed their sleep patterns | 21% | 17% | 21% | 11% | 14% | 20% | 17% | 25% |
Communicated with a professional | 12% | 8% | 11% | 5% | 7% | 11% | 11% | 8% |
The Public Health Agency of Canada funded the 2021 Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health to better understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of Canadians. Responses from adults, aged 18 years and older, living in the 10 provinces and 3 territorial capitals in Canada were collected by Statistics Canada between February and May 2021.
Mental health resources are available
If you, or someone you know, is in a crisis or needs mental health and substance use support, visit Mental health support or Wellness Together Canada for a wide range of resources and supports.
For more information about COVID-19, please visit the Government of Canada website on the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Data source
Statistics Canada. Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH) 2021 (accessed January 2022). Accessible at: https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&Id=1322324
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