Age- and sex-specific trends in Canadian mental health from 2003 to 2024: a repeated cross-sectional meta-regression analysis.
Epidemiol Psychiatr SciOct 1, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchPsychiatry
Sara Zulyniak, Gina Dimitropoulos, Eric Chan et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis examined trends in mental health outcomes in Canada from 2003 to 2024, using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey. It found that the prevalence of diagnosed mood disorders increased significantly across all age and sex groups. For instance, the prevalence in adolescent and young adult males rose from 2.37% in 2003 to 12.58% in 2024.
Key findings
- The prevalence of diagnosed mood disorder in adolescent and young adult males increased from 2.37% in 2003 to 12.58% in 2024.
- In adolescent and young adult females, the prevalence of diagnosed mood disorder rose from 5.23% in 2003 to 21.49% in 2024.
- All age groups and sexes showed increased prevalence of poor mental health outcomes over the study period.
- Meta-regression analysis indicated statistically significant curvilinear trends for all outcomes, age, and sex groups.
Why it matters
Understanding the rising prevalence of mental health disorders across different demographics is crucial for clinicians. It highlights the need for targeted interventions and resources to address the growing mental health crisis in the population.