Mental health

Mental health is the capacity to enjoy life and adapt to the challenges we face.

A Black woman and her young son dance together outdoors.
A Sikh couple smile while holding a Golden doodle puppy outdoors.

Perceived mental health

Having a mental health condition is not an indication of whether a person has good or poor mental health. People with mental health conditions have times when they feel well and times when their mental health is poor. Likewise, people with no mental health conditions may have good mental health sometimes and poor mental health other times. 

2 in 3 people in our community perceive their mental health as very good or excellent
View dashboard

2 in 3 people in our community perceive their mental health as very good or excellent

People who perceive their mental health as good tend to have more supportive social networks and feel more connected to their community. [1] 

An area graph shows the percentage of people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County who perceived their mental health as very good or excellent from 2015 and 2016 to 2019 and 2020. For a full description of the graph, refer to the “Read graph as text” section.
Nearly two-thirds of people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County perceive their mental health as very good or excellent. An area graph shows the percentage of people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County who perceived their mental health as very good or excellent from 2015 and 2016 to 2019 and 2020. The x-axis shows the years, and the y-axis shows the percentage of people who perceived their mental health as very good or excellent. The percentage of people is consistently greater than 60%. Source: Public Health Ontario
A woman with short green hair consoles a man holding his face in his hands.

Mental health conditions

Mental health conditions are illnesses that affect the way we think, feel, behave, and perceive the world around us. [1] These conditions can be severe enough to disrupt day-to-day life but, with the right supports, a person living with a mental health condition can be healthy and well. 

Mood disorders and anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions in Canada. [2]

At least 1 in 10 people in our community have a mood or anxiety disorder
View dashboard

At least 1 in 10 people in our community have a mood or anxiety disorder

The true prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders will be underestimated because there is no way to count people with undiagnosed mental health conditions. Due to stigma and barriers in accessing care, many people may not seek treatment despite having symptoms. [3][4] 

An icon array shows the percentage of people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County who reported having a diagnosed mood or anxiety disorder in 2019 and 2020. For a full description of the graph, refer to the “Read graph as text” section.
In 2019 and 2020, 1 in 10 people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County reported having a diagnosed mood or anxiety disorder. An icon array shows the percentage of people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County who reported having a diagnosed mood or anxiety disorder in 2019 and 2020. Ten people are shown; one is coloured bright red (representing people who reported having a diagnosis) and nine are coloured pale grey (representing people who did not report a diagnosis). Source: Public Health Ontario
A young man sitting on a park bench clasps his hands behind his head and holds it between his knees.

Stress

Stress is our bodies’ physical and mental response to challenges or change.

1 in 5 people in our community feel most days are quite a bit or extremely stressful
View dashboard

1 in 5 people in our community feel most days are quite a bit or extremely stressful

Experiencing some stress and learning how to cope with it is beneficial. However, when stress is constant or excessive and we do not have the right supports to help us cope, it can have a “wear and tear” effect on our brain and body. [1] 

An icon array shows the percentage of people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County who felt most days were quite a bit or extremely stressful in 2019 and 2020. For a full description of the graph, refer to the “Read graph as text” section.
In 2019 and 2020, 1 in 5 people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County felt most days were quite a bit or extremely stressful. An icon array shows the percentage of people age 12 years and older in Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County who felt most days were quite a bit or extremely stressful in 2019 and 2020. Five heads are pictured; one is coloured bright red (representing people who felt most days were quite a bit or extremely stressful) and four are coloured pale grey (representing people who did not feel most days were quite a bit or extremely stressful). Source: Public Health Ontario
A young Asian woman makes a serious phone call on a cell phone.

Suicidal behaviour

If you are thinking about harming yourself, or you are worried about someone you know, call or text the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 9-8-8 toll free, anytime. 

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing our own death. Self-harm is when we harm ourselves on purpose. The reason for self-harming may or may not be suicidal.

There are nearly 100 hospitalizations for self-harm in our community each year
View dashboard

There are nearly 100 hospitalizations for self-harm in our community each year

While self-harm is not always suicidal, hospitalizations for self-harm indicate a severe injury or level of distress. Action is needed both to prevent suicide and self-harming behaviour and to adequately support people’s recovery after they have been hospitalized. 

A line graph shows the number of hospitalizations for self-harm per 100,000 people in Guelph and Wellington County from 2013 to 2022. For a full description of the graph, refer to the “Read graph as text” section.
There are nearly 100 hospitalizations for self-harm in Guelph and Wellington County each year. A line graph shows the number of hospitalizations for self-harm per 100,000 people in Guelph and Wellington County from 2013 to 2022. The x-axis shows the year, and the y-axis shows the number of hospitalizations per 100,000 people. In Guelph, the number of hospitalizations range from 35 to 60 per 100,000 people. In Wellington County, the number of hospitalizations range from 25 to 38 per 100,000 people. Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information
Library books on a shelf.

References

  1. Ahmad, F., Jhajj, A. K., Stweart, D. E., Burghardt, M., & Bierman, A. S. (2014). Single item measures of self-rated mental health: A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 14, 398.
  1. Canadian Mental Health Association. (2016, February 28). Mental illnesses. 
  2. Public Health Agency of Canada. (2015). Mood and anxiety disorders in Canada: Fast facts from the 2014 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada
  3. O’Donnell, S., Vanderloo, S., McRae, L., Onysko, J., Patten, S. B., & Pelletier, L. (2016). Comparison of the estimated prevalence of mood and/or anxiety disorders in Canada between self-report and administrative dataEpidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 25(4), 360–369. 
  4. Lim, K. L., Jacobs, P., Ohinmaa, A., Schopflocher, D., Dewa, C. S. (2008). A new population-based measure of the economic burden of mental illness in Canada Chronic Diseases in Canada, 28, 92–98. 
  1. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2014). Excessive stress disrupts the architecture of the developing brain Working paper no. 3. Harvard University.
An open drawer in a card catalog.

Data sources

Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). (2023). Overall health snapshot [Data file]. Retrieved December 17, 2024. 

Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). (2023). Chronic health problems snapshot [Data file]. Retrieved December 13, 2024. 

Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). (2023). Overall health snapshot [Data file]. Retrieved December 17, 2024. 

Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2023). Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) – Inpatient discharges 2005-2022, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, IntelliHealth Ontario [Database] Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health [Distributor]. Retrieved December 2, 2024. 

Stories you may be interested in

View all Stories

Tackling food waste from farm to green bin 

Hear from the University of Guelph, The SEED, Food Cycle Science, and the City of Guelph and learn what community organizations, businesses, and municipalities can do to reduce food waste across the supply chain—and how it can improve food security. 

Community stories
January 20th, 2025