Canadians want mental health funding to continue, new polling shows

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) calls on federal government to renew $5 billion mental health funding to prevent service cuts and protect Canadians

OTTAWA, ON, April 28, 2026 /CNW/ – With $5 billion in federal funding for mental health and addictions services set to expire, a new Pollara survey commissioned by CMHA shows a strong majority (81%) of Canadians support maintaining mental health services through continued funding from the federal government.

CMHA leaders from across the country are on Parliament Hill today to urge the federal government to commit to a renewed 10-year, $5 billion investment in mental health and addictions services. The organization is warning that allowing it to expire would undermine access to essential mental health and addictions supports at a time when demand for services remains high.  

If not renewed, the government’s 2017 investment for mental health and addictions will come to an end next year.

For the past 10 years, federal funding has supported critical services across Canada helping keep people supported, housed, and out of hospital. The federal investment supports a wide range of community-based services that people rely on, including crisis response, supportive housing, early intervention for youth and addictions care. CMHA programs alone serve 330 communities and more than 1.3 million Canadians every year.

The Pollara survey also shows strong support for public funding of mental health care, with 75% saying it should help ensure services are affordable and accessible, and only 10% saying individuals should pay out of pocket.

Many services are not covered by provincial and territorial health insurance plans, meaning people have to pay out of pocket for lifesaving care or rely on limited private insurance benefits. As the cost of living rises, many people in Canada are struggling to meet basic needs and cannot afford to pay for mental health and addictions services. When care is out of reach, more people end up in crisis and turn to emergency departments and hospitals. The effects extend beyond the health system to the broader economy: when people go without care, their symptoms worsen, making it harder to stay employed and reducing productivity.

If federal investments are not renewed, essential services will be at risk and Canadians will feel the impact.

Quotes:

“Too many people are struggling. The exhausted caregiver and the worker facing burnout, the young person in distress, all on never-ending lists for care. Without this federal funding, it will become even more difficult for people to get the help they need.” – Marion Cooper, President and Lead Executive Officer, CMHA National

“This funding has helped CMHA deliver services that support people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges every day, including those in crisis, those seeking early support and those navigating recovery. In BC, it has empowered tens of thousands of families to support the mental health of their children and ensured that more than 17,000 people have been able to manage symptoms of mild to moderate depression or anxiety, just to name a few impacts. Without this funding, people risk losing access to these upstream supports that reduce pressure on the downstream health system.” – Jonny Morris, CEO, CMHA BC

“Investments in mental health care have wide-reaching impacts in our communities that help us support people who are experiencing serious mental health issues. Renewed federal funding will ensure critical programs can continue uninterrupted, allowing us to care for the most vulnerable and work with our municipal partners in addressing the homelessness and addictions crises.” – Camille Quenneville, CEO, CMHA Ontario

About the Canadian Mental Health Association

Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health federation in Canada. Through a presence in more than 330 communities across every province and the Yukon, CMHA provides advocacy, programs and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses, support recovery and resilience, and enable all Canadians to flourish and thrive. For more information, please visit www.cmha.ca.

About The Study

This study was conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights on behalf of the Canadian Mental Health Association, using an online survey among 1,513 Canadian adults, aged 18 and over, between April 9th and 12th, 2026. Results have been weighted by age, gender and region to be representative of the Canadian population. A probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of approximately ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

SOURCE Canadian Mental Health Association