New report shows Toronto mental health has sharply worsened since 2015
A ThriveTO report finds the share of Torontonians reporting very good or excellent mental health fell from 73% in 2015 to 52% in 2022, with young people and those facing financial insecurity hit hardest.
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By Torontoer Staff
Toronto residents reporting very good or excellent mental health fell from 73 per cent in 2015 to 52 per cent in 2022, according to a new report card from ThriveTO and partner organisations. The decline is described by one lead author as unprecedented, and the findings point to widening gaps by age, income and past adversity.
The report compiles publicly available data from Statistics Canada, CAMH, Ontario Health and the Toronto Mental Health and Addictions Access Point, and was produced in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association, CAMH and the City of Toronto.
What the numbers show
The headline drop, from nearly three quarters of residents reporting good mental health to just over half, reflects a longer trend that predates COVID-19 and accelerated during the pandemic. ThriveTO authors say the report establishes a baseline for future monitoring under the Thrive Toronto Mental Health Plan, released in 2023.
- Self-reported very good or excellent mental health: 73% in 2015, 52% in 2022
- 55% of respondents said the pandemic had a moderate to extreme negative impact on their mental health
- 46% said they feel depressed about the future because of climate change
- 76% of needs identified for clients receiving community mental health services were being met
- Number of people waiting for support services nearly doubled between 2020/2021 and 2022/2023
This is unprecedented. This is crazy. We’re going from three quarters of people saying they had good mental health to just about half. That is something that we should be really worried about.
Dr. Kwame McKenzie, CEO, Wellesley Institute
Young people, discrimination and childhood adversity
Declines are not evenly distributed. Younger Torontonians report poorer mental health than older age groups. The report also finds strong links between mental well‑being and experiences of discrimination or adverse childhood events, with those groups far less likely to report they are doing well.
Authors highlight multiple drivers. In addition to pandemic effects, climate anxiety is common among young people, and financial insecurity is identified as tightly linked to mental health outcomes.
One of the things that is exquisitely linked to your mental health is the feeling of financial insecurity. Is there a difference between affordability and health? Probably not that much difference.
Dr. Kwame McKenzie
Access to care and rising demand
For people who access community mental health services, the system often meets identified needs. The report shows 76 per cent of needs were being met for clients already in care. The comparable statistic masks a larger problem, however. Demand is rising faster than services can expand, and waitlists have lengthened substantially.
Between 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 the number of people waiting for support services nearly doubled. Authors warn that growing waitlists are a key danger sign for the city’s mental health system and call for policy responses that expand capacity and reduce barriers to care.
Loneliness and the city’s emotional texture
Frontline clinicians report rising loneliness across demographic groups, including young adults, newcomers and remote workers. Clinicians say the pattern reflects broader social changes and seasonal pressures, which magnify isolation in large urban settings.
We’re definitely seeing an increase on loneliness across the city, whether you’re a young adult, a newcomer or remote worker. Winter often amplifies this, particularly in large urban cities. Society is slowly becoming more aware of how lonely we are.
Christina Gallo, registered psychotherapist, Canadian Mental Health Association
Policy implications and the municipal election
The report card is intended as the first in a recurring series to track progress under the Thrive Toronto plan. Authors say its baseline findings should inform policy and planning, and that mental health must be treated as a central civic issue.
Dr. McKenzie urged municipal candidates and policymakers to consider the data in the lead up to the 2026 election, arguing that addressing mental health, affordability and service capacity will be critical to improving the city’s overall wellbeing.
What this means for Torontonians
The report highlights several priorities: targeted supports for young people, initiatives to reduce financial stress, investment in community services to shorten wait times, and efforts to reduce discrimination and address childhood adversity. Monitoring progress through repeated report cards will track whether interventions are working.
Toronto’s mental health indicators have shifted substantially in a short time. The new report card aims to move the conversation from description to action by providing a baseline and by signalling where resources and policy changes are most needed.
Torontomental healthThriveTOpublic healthyouth mental health
