Research indicates that difficult working conditions, job demands and work environments are critical factors contributing to mental health issues.

Today we see an increase of mental illness in both the number of people affected at work and the financial impact compared to widely cited 2011 Statistics Canada data. A recent 2025 study published by the CSA Public Policy Centre indicates that over the past decade Canada’s mental health crisis has escalated, marked by significant rises in depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders.







Key findings: 

• 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental illness every year.
• 500,000 Canadians miss work due to mental illness every week.
• Over 60 per cent of reported stress cases are work-related with recent surveys pegging this up to 80 per cent.
• Mental health-related disability claims now account for 70 per cent of workplace disability costs up from the 30 per cent previously reported.
• Substantial impact on the Canadian economy, with the annual cost of mental illnesses currently exceeding $200 billion, up from $50 billion, and projected to reach $2.5 trillion by 2041.

Register for discounted training to promote workplace mental health

Discussions across Canadian workplaces continue to draw concern for worker well-being and rightly so. Evidence, both from studies and real-world experience, makes it clear: personal coping tools and traditional employee assistance programs (EAPs) aren’t enough on their own. They don’t provide Ontario employers or supervisors with what they need to safeguard employee well-being. To bridge the gap, a stronger emphasis is needed on identifying and addressing psychosocial hazards in the workplace — hazards such as excessive work hours, unmanageable job demands, limited say in how works gets done, poor organizational support, and issues like workplace violence and harassment. All these factors need to be part of the conversation to create change for safer, healthier work environments.
 
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) employers have a general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the protection of a worker [s.25(2)(h]. Fortunately, many work-related hazards that contribute to mental injuries and illnesses can be identified and eliminated. A key step in this process is comprehensive training.

Mental health training: Key to unlocking workplace well-being

To support Mental Health Awareness month and help workplaces create healthier, safer work, Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC), Ontario’s official occupational health and safety training centre is offering for a limited time a full schedule of instructor-led, in-person and virtual classroom workplace mental health training courses in English and French at a discounted rate of $40 (regularly priced at $75) per course until May 31.
 
WHSC supports workers, their representatives, supervisors and employers in public and private sectors in all industries with training designed to: 

• identify mental health hazards,
• encourage discussion on preventative and protective measures for safer and healthier work and,
• provide the tools to identify signs of stress related impacts.

Workplace Mental Health Training programs include:

• Stress in the Workplace
• Critical Incident & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Workplace Violence & Harassment
• Psychosocial Hazards & Workplace Mental Health
• Dangers psychosociaux et santé mentale sur le lieu de travail
• Violence et harcèlement au travail

Let’s stop being reactive and start with proactive prevention.

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Training is offered virtually, as well as on-site for training a larger number of workers. For more information about on-site delivery contact a training services representative in your area.

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Flyers:
Creating Mentally Safe & Healthy Workplaces 
Bâtir des milieux de travail sains mentalement 

Related Studies:
Personal coping not the solution for deadly work-related stress, says new study
Work stressors double risk of heart disease in men, study
Workplace interventions key to worker mental well-being, study finds

Resources:
Work Stress Hazard Bulletin
Workplace Violence Resources

Need more information?
Contact a WHSC training services representative in your area.
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca
Visit: whsc.on.ca
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