Each year, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) raises awareness with the aim to educate Canadians on mental health and its importance. This year, the organization is looking forward to the 71st annual CMHA Mental Health Week from May 2 - 8, 2022.

Following the recent global pandemic and major humanitarian crises’ around the world, the importance of mental health is finally getting the attention it deserves. There is an urgent need for better prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression, among other mental health disorders.

Reeves College strives to tackle the rise in mental health problems by raising awareness.

Here are some facts on mental health that may surprise you*:

1. Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders make up 10% of the global burden of disease and 30% of the non-fatal disease burden.

2. Around 1 in 5 of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental disorder.

3. Depression is the most common mental disorder. Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression.

4. About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 1

5. Globally, close to 800,000 people die by suicide every year: one person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals aged 15-29 years.

6. Around 1 in 9 people in settings affected by conflict live with a moderate to severe mental disorder.

7. People with severe mental disorders die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population.

8. Rates of mental health workers vary from below 2 per 100,000 population in low-income countries to over 70 per 100,000 in high-income countries.

9. Less than half of the 139 countries that have mental health policies report having these aligned with human rights conventions.

10. The global economy loses about US$ 1 trillion per year in productivity due to depression and anxiety.

At Reeves College, we strongly believe that everyone deserves to feel well. Our student services is the go-to source for support to help our students navigate their programs and maintain or improve their well-being.

*Sourced from WHO International.