New report reveals young Canadians face a tough cycle of stress, poor sleep, and financial worries
A new report by Dialogue Health Technologies Inc., a health and wellness platform in Canada, highlights concerns about the overall well-being of working Canadians, particularly those in their twenties.
According to Dialogue’s Well-Being Score, which benchmarks thousands of people monthly, stress related to financial pressures and rising living costs is a significant factor impacting mental health.
The semi-annual ‘Health and Well-Being Report: A Canadian Benchmark’ leverages the World Health Organization’s Well-Being Index (WHO-5) to evaluate five dimensions of mental health: mood, stress, sleep, activeness, and sense of purpose.
The findings reveal a national well-being score of 49.4 out of 100 over the past 18 months. Scores below 50 indicate poor mental health, with inaccessibility to traditional benefits placing many at risk of worsening conditions.
Working Canadians aged 20 to 29 report the lowest well-being scores among all age groups. According to the report, low sleep and activeness scores across age groups are compounded by financial stress, creating a snowball effect.
Dialogue’s data reveals that Canadians frequently seek financial advice for budgeting, investing, retirement saving, and tax reduction — all areas closely tied to financial pressures.
Marc Robin, medical director at Dialogue, stated, “With many Canadians losing sleep over common stressors such as finances, this has a cascading effect on lifestyle factors which impact mental health, physical health, and overall well-being.”
Robin emphasised the value of accessible mental health care, including virtual support, to help Canadians address these challenges before they worsen.
The report underscores the importance of prevention through employer benefits. It found that eight in ten individuals using Dialogue’s Wellness program made trackable lifestyle changes after completing the Well-Being Score assessment.
Benchmarking tools also connect employees with financial counselling and evidence-based stress management resources, addressing issues that may be stigmatized.
However, traditional employee assistance programs (EAPs) face challenges in engagement.
Over half of Canadians with an EAP have never accessed it, despite the inclusion of financial counselling and mental health resources. Furthermore, one in two Canadians feel their benefits plans are inadequate, and one in three report insufficient mental health coverage.
Dialogue’s report points to the growing adoption of virtual-first, accessible EAP models as a solution for enhancing employee support. By using tools like the Well-Being Score, HR leaders gain anonymous insights to tailor resources and strategies for their teams.
This approach fosters a culture of well-being, with potential benefits such as long-term cost savings and improved employee retention.
