Canada Spends Less to Treat Mental Illness Than Most Developed Countries: Funding Uneven Across Provinces

Canadian Journal of Psychiatry - MEDIA ADVISORY - May 2008:

Canada lags behind most developed countries when it comes to mental health spending, an article in the May issue of The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry found. Dr. Philip Jacobs and authors’ research shows that only 4.8% of total health care spending in Canada (or $197 annually per Canadian) goes to mental health, which is slightly below the 5% that the European Health Economics Network considers to be the minimum acceptable amount. Canada is at the bottom of the barrel along with Italy—almost 2.5% behind the United States. At 12.1%, the United Kingdom spends the largest proportion of its health budget on mental health, although that includes social services costs.

The research also shows significant differences in mental health spending between the provinces. These ranged from an average annual low of $146 per person in Saskatchewan (3.5% of total spending) to a high of $258 in British Columbia (6.4%). The other provinces were: Newfoundland and Labrador, $200 (4.8%); PEI, $231 (5.8%); Nova Scotia, $203 (4.9%); New Brunswick, $242 (6.0%); Quebec, $166 (4.5%); Ontario, $185 (4.3%); Manitoba, $219 (4.9%); and Alberta, $242 (5.6%).

The research also highlights the important need for clear reporting of a consistent set of public and private mental health care expenditures across the provinces, as well as Western countries, so that meaningful comparisons can be made.

Further information:

Expenditures on Mental Health and Addictions for Canadian Provinces in 2003/04 (PDF)