A new Ipsos survey conducted on behalf of GreenShield found that 92% of Canadian mothers report feeling responsible for tracking most family-related tasks, with the burden intensifying during back-to-school season.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of mothers said their mental load is higher during this period than the rest of the year, and the survey found mothers spend roughly four times more time worrying about their family's needs than focusing on their own mental health. Nearly two-thirds reported feeling overwhelmed, and more than half experience burnout or anxiety, yet more than 70% said they've delayed or avoided seeking mental health support, most often citing time and cost barriers.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos between July 2 and 8, 2026, among 1,001 Canadian mothers aged 18 to 64 with children under 18 in the household, with results weighted to Census demographics and a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. That's a more rigorous methodology than some vendor-commissioned surveys in this space, giving the topline figures more standing than a purely promotional poll would carry.
"For many mothers, the mental load never really switches off," said Dr. Khush Amaria, director of clinical services at GreenShield Health.
"Therapy can help women better manage the pressures they're carrying, build resilience and develop tools to navigate challenges before reaching a breaking point." Mandy Mail, executive vice president of GreenShield Cares, pointed to the finding that mothers spend four times more time on their family's needs than their own mental health as the survey's most striking result, adding that racialized and marginalized women often face an additional layer of complexity finding culturally appropriate care.
For brokers advising employer clients on group benefits design, this survey adds to a growing body of evidence that generic mental health coverage doesn't necessarily reach the employees who need it most.
The 71% figure citing time and cost as barriers to seeking support lines up with a broader cost picture GreenShield itself has previously highlighted: a 2026 CSA Group Public Policy Centre report put the total annual economic cost of poor mental health in Canada at $180 billion, with employers absorbing roughly $110 billion through disability claims, benefits and lost productivity, while just 14% of employer mental health spending currently goes toward prevention rather than downstream costs.
A benefit that requires significant advance scheduling, out-of-pocket costs before reimbursement, or navigating a referral process adds friction precisely where working mothers report having the least capacity to absorb it. Employers designing or renewing mental health benefits should treat ease of access, same-day or near-term appointment availability, upfront cost coverage, and simple self-referral, as functionally as important as the depth of coverage itself.
This survey also extends a broader pattern in GreenShield's public messaging this year around women's health specifically. The company has separately helped fund the Can-RISE study into the menopause transition and has built out its Personalized Hormonal Health Program through the GreenShield+ platform, positioning itself as a specialist in women's health gaps within the group benefits and insurance markets.
That positioning matters against a backdrop where mental health is now tied to nearly 40% of short-term disability claims at some major carriers, and Canadian life and health insurers paid out $53.3 billion in health benefits and $10 billion in disability benefits in 2024 according to CLHIA figures, underscoring why insurers are increasingly framing women's health and caregiver mental load as cost and utilization issues, not just wellness talking points.
GreenShield said its Women's Mental Health Signature Initiative has connected close to 200,000 women from equity-seeking communities to free mental health services since 2021, though that figure comes from GreenShield's own reporting rather than independent verification.
The finding that 74% of mothers spend significant time worrying about their children's mental health, and 86% expressed concern about the impact of online content and social media on their kids. This points to a second, related benefits conversation -- family mental health coverage that extends meaningfully to dependents, not just the primary plan member, is increasingly relevant to how employees experience the value of their benefits package.
For brokers working with employer clients whose workforce skews toward parents of school-age children, this data offers a concrete, research-backed talking point for why investing in accessible, low-friction mental health benefits, rather than just comprehensive on-paper coverage, is likely to see meaningfully higher utilization.
