As part of the collaborative work with provinces and territories to meet the health and mental health needs of Canadians, the Government of Canada is also working to develop national mental health and substance use service standards to ensure all Canadians can access the support they need, when they need it.

“As we work to improve Canada’s universal health care system, children, youth and young adults deserve access to the highest quality of mental health and substance use care no matter where they live in Canada. Today’s investment will ensure that the national mental health and substance use service standards that are being developed with provinces and territories are grounded in evidence.”

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health

“All people in Canada should have access to equitable, timely, and evidence-based mental health and substance use health care where and when they need it, and the needs of youth and underserved young Canadians are particularly urgent. These 25 research projects will investigate best practices and guiding principles for the delivery of mental health and substance use health services in various settings to support decision making and ensure the best outcomes for Canada’s children, youth and young adults.”

Dr. Samuel Weiss
Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction

“Dalhousie is proud to contribute to a body of knowledge that promises to improve equity and access to mental health and substance use health care for young Canadians. National service standards will provide a comprehensive view of the systems that underpin the delivery of mental health in Canada, exposing gaps and opening doors with culturally inclusive care for young people from underserved communities.”

Frank Harvey
President and Vice-Chancellor (Acting), Dalhousie University

• In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada provided $45 million over two years to Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to develop national mental health service standards in collaboration with the provinces and territories and other key partners.

• 1 in 5 Canadians experience mental health or addiction problems in any given year. 70% of these problems have their origins in childhood.

• Currently, fewer than 20% of the 1.2 million children experiencing mental health issues are receiving appropriate treatment and care.  

• The research projects announced today will study standards relevant to different care settings (e.g., hospital emergency departments, juvenile justice settings), different types of standards (e.g., to reduce wait times or deliver culturally inclusive care), standards for specific mental health and substance use conditions (e.g., depression, eating disorders), and several projects will focus on underserved populations who typically face barriers to accessing mental health and substance use services.

• The standards will be for youth and young adults up to 25 years of age and their families

• The research will help uncover the strategies that can increase the likelihood that standards are adopted or applied across health care systems. The results of this research will contribute to the evidence base for pan-Canadian standards for mental health and substance use services for children and youth.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Research on mental health and substance use standards for children, youth and young adults

Associated links

• Standards for Children and Youth Mental Health Services funding opportunity
• National standards for mental health services

Maja Staka
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
343-552-5568

Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system.