Nearly nine in 10 Canadians who report having a mental illness receive care from a family member or a friend, according to a recent release by Statistics Canada. The numbers are based on the 2018 General Social Survey on Caregiving and Care Receiving. 

Of those who receive care from a family member or friend, most often (72 percent of the time) it is from a parent. For those who are between 15 and 24 years old, the percentage is even higher (77 percent).

“I think that it shows there is more, maybe not that there are more struggles, but people that are more willing to talk about those struggles, which is something that we’ve been striving for,” Tasha Collins with the Weyburn branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association said. 

More often than not, the care received from a family member or friend was emotional support. Other types of help included assisting with household chores, helping get people to and from medical appointments, and even something as simple as running an errand.

While so many do turn to their family and friends for support when dealing with mental illness, 76 percent of young Canadians said without their parents, they would have had a lot of trouble finding help.

“Without having a connection to some supports, whether it is close family, friends, parents, guardians, without having that it can be hard for youth to know where to turn,” added Collins.

The numbers from Statistics Canada also showed young care receivers were satisfied with the care they got from their friends and family. Just a quarter of young Canadians dealing with a mental illness said they weren’t satisfied with the care they received, saying they needed more professional help as well.

Across Canada, nearly 6 in 10 young Canadians identified mental illness as the leading reason they needed care, according to the Statistics Canada release.