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Addressing PTSD and trauma

Learn how the Government of Canada is helping to address PTSD.

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Federal Framework on PTSD

We're committed to addressing PTSD. In June 2018, we passed the Federal Framework on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act. The act recognizes that anybody can be at risk for PTSD, with some facing higher risks because of the nature of their work.

The act led to a national conference on PTSD in April of 2019. Experts from across the country, including people with lived experience, shared their knowledge and views.

With their involvement, we developed the Federal Framework on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Recognition, Collaboration and Support. It was launched in February 2020. The framework connects and builds on existing federal efforts. While it focuses on occupation-related PTSD, it also acknowledges other populations affected by PTSD.

The framework was developed to help:

The framework also laid important groundwork for coordination and collaboration among federal departments.

It's used to:

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National action plan on post-traumatic stress injuries for public safety personnel

On April 8, 2019, Public Safety Canada released the Supporting Canada's Public Safety Personnel: An Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries.

The plan focuses on:

The 2018 and 2023 federal budgets provided $31.7 million to advance the plan, which provides funding for projects like:

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Trauma and PTSD research

Many researchers and organizations are working to better understand PTSD and trauma, and to identify ways to help those who are affected. Here's what's happening at the federal level to help.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

From 2019 to 2020 and 2023 to 2024, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research invested over $24.4 million into PTSD research. This included $20 million over 5 years from the 2018 federal budget to fund a new research consortium with the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment. The aim of the consortium was to better understand and address PTSD and post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) among public safety personnel in Canada.

Read about research funded through this investment:

Post-traumatic stress injuries among public safety personnel

This program funded 22 1-year research projects, which studied topics such as:

  • mental health screening tools
  • peer support programs
  • resiliency training
  • understanding the prevalence of mental health disorders in public safety occupations
Mental wellness in public safety

This program funded 16 grants for PTSD research activities, which led to 8 larger team grants. These grants focused on developing new research evidence and tools to better understand PTSI among:

  • firefighters
  • paramedics
  • police
  • correctional services personnel
Research and coordination hubs for public safety

This program funded 2 hubs focused on building evidence around how to prevent suicide and provide effective peer support for public safety personnel experiencing PTSI.

These hubs include:

  • the RESPond Hub for Suicide Prevention, led by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
  • the PeerOnCall Hub for App-based support, led by researchers at McMaster University
Crisis line and app-based support for public safety

This program funded 6 grants that built on the work of the research and coordination hubs. This included:

  • developing crisis line and app-based supports to address suicide prevention and the need for peer support among public safety personnel
  • giving organizations access to effective, evidence-based tools for public safety personnel experiencing PTSI

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Sharing lessons learned out of the research

Between 2020 and 2021, the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research hosted a webinar series to share what the funded projects learned. The series highlighted best practices and the importance of building knowledge to:

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RCMP longitudinal PTSD study

The University of Regina is carrying out a 12-year study on the effects of policing on the mental health of RCMP officers. The study is looking at:

The study is also developing tools to:

The study was awarded $11 million for the first 4.5 years, with more funding added annually over 8 more years.

Early results are positive and are helping to create better training and support for new recruits.

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Funding for mental health organizations

Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment

The Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment is a national knowledge exchange hub out of the University of Regina that focuses on the mental health of public safety personnel. It provides a public space to access evidence-based information and research on the mental health of:

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Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research

The Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research was co-founded by Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada. This institute has built a network of about 1,700 researchers who focus on improving the health and wellbeing of:

The institute works to identify better ways to support military personnel and veterans, and shares research and findings across national and international audiences.

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Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families

The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families is a national centre that focuses on the mental health of veterans and currently serving Canadian Armed Forces members. It was established in June 2019 with funding from Veterans Affairs Canada. The Atlas Institute provides easier to access information, research, tools and expertise on:

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Funding to address PTSD and trauma in those most affected by the pandemic

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many frontline and essential workers experienced long hours and prolonged stress while working to keep the public safe and healthy. The 2021 federal budget committed $50 million to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support projects addressing PTSD and trauma for those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

Projects funded through this investment aimed to:

This investment also supported the Canadian Institute for Pandemic Health Education and Response, a knowledge development and exchange hub. The hub used data from funded projects to help inform mental health interventions and enhance public health policy and practice.

While these projects ended in March 2024, tools and resources are still available through this knowledge hub.

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