Mental Health Expenditure in Canada.

The study provided the most recent and comprehensive estimate of mental health expenditure in Canada. The results for similar cost components, are comparable to those found in the previous studies. Expenditures directed towards mental health treatment accounted for 6.4% of total health expenditures, and 6.9% of public health expenditures, in 2019, on par with the OECD average of 6.7% for twenty-three countries. Among considered cost components, community-based mental health and addiction services remain an area where further work is needed the most, including a standardized list of services reported by each Canadian province/territory regardless of care setting, service administrator or funder. In Canada, data challenges are considerable to assess private spending out-of-pocket or through third-party insurance for services by psychologists or psychotherapists, as well as residential and home care. Given data challenges, the total expenditure estimate is likely conservative. IMPLICATIONS: Consistent and comparable estimates such as these can be used to better understand how resources are being used in the treatment of mental health, including key cost drivers, and the impact of policy changes, as well as to undertake reliable inter-jurisdictional and international comparisons.