Scan of Mental Health Strategies across Canada

The Scan of Mental Health Strategies across Canada comprises 1. provincial and territorial strategies in mental health, 2. strategies related to suicide prevention, and 3. Indigenous-specific mental health and/or wellness strategies. In developing these three sections, a search of the grey literature was carried out, and completed by reaching out to key informants in certain provinces/territories. Briefly, we searched for mental health strategies and suicide prevention strategies in each province and territory, as well as pan-Canadian strategies. The same procedure was used to identify Indigenous-specific strategies. In addition, Indigenous-specific wellness strategies were identified and included where relevant. We did not, however, search for provincial, territorial or pan-Canadian wellness strategies though these may include dimensions of mental health. The content is therefore not necessarily a comprehensive review of all strategies. It should be noted that certain publications though not strategies or action plans themselves, i.e. frameworks, scientific advisory reports, etc., have been included in the Scan due to the breadth of their recommendations, or their importance as reference documents.

To describe each publication, a summary page has been created, presenting a summary of the strategy; its objectives; its underlying values and principles; the dimensions of mental health promotion, mental illness prevention, and early intervention; and elements of its evaluation; as well as listing any preceding versions of the strategy, accompanying evaluation reports or any other related publications.

The Scan of Mental Health Strategies across Canada was developed in 2013 following interviews with key stakeholders at the provincial and federal levels. It was the product of a collaborative project on population mental health, completed in collaboration with the five other National Collaborating Centres (NCCs). A partial update was undertaken in 2015. The most recent update occurred in 2018. Following the 2018 update, changes to the Scan include the development of a new section that groups together Indigenous-specific mental health and/or wellness strategies in each province and territory, as well as pan-Canadian strategies, and the development of three new sections in the summary page: Guiding Values and Principles; Promotion/Prevention/Early Intervention; and Preceding Strategies and Accompanying Evaluation Reports.