Mental Health Index: February highlights

The mental health and wellbeing of your workforce is critical when it comes to overall health – and productivity at work. 

The Mental Health Index (MHI) surveys 16,000 workers from around the world. Published monthly, the index provides a measure of the current mental health status of employed adults. The increases and decreases in the MHI are intended to predict cost and productivity risks, and help governments and businesses understand how much they should be investing in supporting the mental health of their people. 

Highlights: What do you need to know for February 2023?

1. Following two months of improvements, the mental health of workers in Canada declined sharply and is at the lowest point in more than two years. 

• At 62.9, the mental health of workers fell nearly two points from January 2023 
• 35 per cent of workers in Canada have a high mental health risk, 43 per cent have a moderate mental health risk, and 22 per cent have a low mental health risk 
• All mental health sub-scores have declined from January to February 2023; the financial risk sub-score declined three points from January 2023
• Mental health scores declined in all provinces apart from Alberta; the most significant decline (4.8 points) is in Manitoba
• The mental health score of managers is higher than that of non-managers and the national average 

2. The Financial Wellbeing Index declined nearly three points from Summer 2022 and is at the lowest point since the launch of the Index in January 2021. 

• All financial wellbeing sub-scores declined from Summer 2022
• Financial perception declined most significantly (3.1 points) from Summer 2022 
• Women, parents, and younger people have lower financial wellbeing than their counterparts
• Financial wellbeing is highly correlated with mental wellbeing; as financial wellbeing improves, so do mental health scores 

Click here to download the February report.

Click here to view the press release.

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