Mental Health Awareness Week (October 4-10) is a time to raise awareness and educate the public about the reality of mental illness. This week coincides with World Mental Health Day on October 10. 

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, in any given year, one in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. Poor mental health is not necessarily caused by one thing or one event. It is caused by a complex combination of genetic, biological, personality and environmental factors. 

We know that nurses and health-care workers are at high risk for mental stress and injury. Half of respondents to a 2025 Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) survey rated their job as very stressful, and almost one-third met clinical thresholds for both anxiety and burnout (and almost one in four for depression). These numbers are the same both nationally and within Ontario.

With their expertise and compassion, nurses and health-care workers help educate the public and remove the stigma around mental illness. It's time we support them in return.  

World Mental Health Day 

The World Health Organization declared October 10 as World Mental Health Day, a day to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.  

During the World Health Assembly in May 2021, governments from around the world recognized the need to scale up quality mental health services at all levels and endorsed WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030, including the Plan’s updated implementation options and indicators for measuring progress. Some countries have found new ways of providing mental health care to their populations and the WHO World Mental Health Day campaign will showcase their efforts as an inspiration to others. 

Visit the WHO’s World Mental Health Day website for campaign information, resources and testimonials.