Mental Health Promotion

Mental health promotion is guided by a commitment to helping people from all walks of life to enjoy life, deal with life’s challenges, improve their emotional and spiritual well-being and build long-lasting social connections and respect for the principles of culture, equity, dignity and social justice. MHP enhances individual coping strategies, help-seeking skills, and resiliency. It builds cohesive and inclusive communities by supporting social inclusion, effective parenting, and friendship building. It also supports the cultivation of mentally healthy workplaces through programs that support employee well-being. If implemented effectively, evaluated regularly, and sustained over the long term, MHP has the potential to reduce mental illness and mental health expenditures. 

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), guided by its National Public Policy Working Group in conjunction with its Board Reference Group and its National Council of Persons with Lived Experience, has created this document to propose evidence-informed recommendations for government, policy makers, educators, community leaders, and community health organizations to advance MHP through the development of public policy and programming that will strengthen the social determinants of mental health. 

Full Report

Summary Report