Report shows factors creating barriers for women to access mental health support
The mental health of women was found to be heavily impacted by the financial struggles brought by the worsening inflation, says a report by GreenShield. Seventy-one percent of women say that problems concerning their finances are a growing concern as it hinders their access for mental health support.
GreenShield Cares, GreenShield’s essential medicines program, has released its first ‘Women’s Mental Health Report’ which tackles the real-life experiences and barriers that women face in accessing mental healthcare in Canada.
“From relying on savings or credit to pay for essential living costs to borrowing money from friends and family, these new findings paint the picture that women are disproportionately impacted by our current economic conditions,” says Harriet Ekperigin, vice-president of mental health at GreenShield. “Layer in the unique experiences of women from racialized and marginalized communities, it's no surprise that these everyday stressors continue to affect their mental health.”
Constraints to access
Compared to 21 percent of men, 42 percent of women who need mental health care say they do not access it because of financial constraints, showing how they are disproportionately affected by current economic conditions.
The study also finds that women report having higher levels of anxiety and depression with 16 percent consistently reporting more severe symptoms of anxiety and 17 percent reporting symptoms of depression. This number increases for racialized women and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.
Women are also more likely to access services for mental health with 13 percent reporting to have accessed them in the previous year. However, those who are part of racialized and marginalized groups are less satisfied with what they received.
“The trends from the ‘Women's Mental Health Report’ reiterates the importance of GreenShield Cares' Women's Mental Health program, which arms Canadian women with free mental health services so they can access the support they need,” says Ekperigin.
The report was released in partnership with Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) and involves data collected from an online survey conducted from July 2022 to August 2023. The respondents consist of 6,708 women and 5,676 men.
