canada election 2025: why the next prime minister must confront the youth mental health crisis
canada has the resources and the tools to lead in youth mental health— what’s missing is national leadership.
4 minute read
mental health challenges often manifest long before age 15—approximately 70 per cent of mental health problems begin in childhood or early adolescence (before the age of 15).
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we are “elbows up” for our trade war with our former ally, and we are fretting about declining productivity. yet, rising rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm among canadian children and youth remain largely absent from the political agenda this election season. that silence carries moral, social and economic costs.
we call on the next federal government to make child and youth mental health a funding priority by:
- publicly funding our current private mental health system
- embedding culturally safe mental health services in schools
- establishing cross-provincial standards for service access and wait times
- investing in a national youth mental health data strategy
the centre for addiction and mental health (camh) estimates that the economic burden of mental illness in canada is over $50 billion annually, with a growing portion tied to youth. delayed intervention leads to worsening conditions, increased hospitalizations and long-term strain on social services. our next federal government cannot afford to ignore this crisis.
ontario’s auditor general has warned that more must be done to oversee child and youth mental health services. a recent report noted rising wait times for intensive youth mental health treatment and inadequate resources for concurrent mental health and addiction disorders.
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according to a canadian health survey on children and youth, the percentage of youth rating their mental health as “fair” or “poor” has more than doubled from 12 per cent in 2019 to 26 per cent in 2023. yet access to care remains limited. among the 2.3 million canadians with unmet or partially met mental health care needs, common barriers include not knowing where to seek help, being too busy, or being unable to afford services.
canadians spend $950 million annually on private psychotherapy, with 30 per cent paying out of pocket—an indication of the gaps in our publicly funded system. the mental health commission of canada (mhcc) has called for an increase in mental health funding to 9 per cent of total health spending—an investment that remains long overdue. given that mental and behavioural disorders account for 13 per cent of the total disease burden in canada, yet remain underfunded by an estimated $3.1 billion, it’s clear that the current system is failing to meet the demand.
mental health must become a policy priority — with real investment, accountability, and leadership from the top. nova scotia, for example, has begun fully supporting publicly funded private mental health, as well as over $850,000 into increasing access to e-mental health support, and putting real dollars into preventative services, especially in rural and remote communities where services are lacking.
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we must also meet youth where they are—in schools. research shows that school-based mental health promotion improves academic outcomes, increases help-seeking behaviours, and reduces stigma. despite this, 91 per cent of ontario schools report needing more support for student well-being, and many still lack basic access to psychologists or mental health professionals. embedding culturally safe, accessible, equity-driven mental health services into schools is a crucial step toward building long-term prevention and system-wide resilience.
canada’s patchwork approach to youth mental health is leaving too many children and youth behind. we need cross-provincial minimum standards to ensure timely access to care, including appropriate staffing ratios—such as one psychologist per 500 students — and maximum wait times. where adults might wait 45 days for mental health care, youth can face delays of more than two and a half years. national standards can close these gaps and guarantee consistent care for children and youth, the group most in need of early, equitable intervention.
moreover, we cannot fix what it fails to measure. a national youth mental health data strategy is urgently needed. the recent launch of the greenshield and mental health research canada youth mental health data hub, which focuses on canadians aged 15 to 29, is a welcome step, but it excludes children under 15—a glaring oversight. this omission is significant because mental health challenges often manifest long before age 15—approximately 70 per cent of mental health problems begin in childhood or early adolescence (before the age of 15). even preschoolers are not immune, with an estimated 17 per cent of children aged 2–5 meeting diagnostic criteria for a mental health disorder. by failing to capture data on this younger demographic, we risk missing early warning signs and forgoing the chance to intervene before issues escalate.
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canada has the resources and the tools to lead in youth mental health— what’s missing is national leadership. we need to play not just with our “elbows up” but with our heads and hearts. the next prime minister needs to invest in our future, meet children where they are, provide more services and do a better job at collecting data to report back to decision-makers on what needs to be done and funded. anything less is a policy failure our country can no longer afford.
dr. elizabeth cawley is the chief clinical officer at playspace. dr cawley was taught by her stanley cup winning grandfather to play not only with her elbows up but with her head and her heart. as such, she works for playspace, a digital health company working to increase access to care and make therapy more engaging for children and youth.
emmy egulu is a toronto-based policy advocate and member of the scientific program committee for the international association for youth mental health.
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