Mental Illness Stats to Know as a Community Support Worker

Mental illness is not a single disease but a broad classification for many disorders including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, eating disorders and organic brain disorders.

As a Community Support Worker, you will have the opportunity to help your clients who are dealing with mental illness. Here are some statistics relating to mental illness in Canada:

Anxiety Disorders affect approximately 12% of Canadians
They can include generalized anxiety, phobias, panic attacks (which are episodes of intense, sudden fear)

Mood Disorders affect approximately 10% of Canadians
People with mood disorders experience prolonged and intense highs and lows

Schizophrenia affects approximately 1% of Canadians
Symptoms appear in the late teen years and into the twenties

Eating Disorders affect approximately 1% of Canadians
And are most common in people under the age of 30




[ source: Canadian Mental Health Association ]

If you are interested in learning more about mental illness and how you can help those who struggle with mental health issues, contact us about the Community Support Worker program, and we can provide you with more information.