The number of working Canadians who see mental illnesses as a disability has increased, a new poll by RBC Insurance has found.
RBC Insurance, together with Ipsos, surveyed a sample of 1,501 employed Canadians aged 18 and above from October 14 to 18, 2021.
According to the survey, more Canadians now consider depression (54%) and anxiety (44%) to be disabilities – the highest figures RBC Insurance has seen since 2019. It also found that 54% of the survey participants rate their mental health as “excellent” or “good,” which represents a 12% drop over the same period in 2019.
"Over the years, we have seen more and more Canadians recognizing that disabilities can be mental, and not just physical in nature," said RBC Insurance director of life & health Maria Winslow. "This is an important shift, particularly as people continue to deal with the ongoing stresses of the pandemic and they continue to report a decline in their mental health."
The survey also uncovered that considerably more respondents aged 18 to 34 indicated mental health challenges (69% anxiety, 59% depression) compared to those 55 and older (42% and 29% respectively). Winslow has commented that this could highlight that pandemic-related stressors have had a “particularly negative impact” on younger individuals.
RBC Insurance also noted that these findings support actual claims trends it has observed among its clients; 35% of new individual long-term disability claims for clients aged 18 to 39 are related to mental health in 2021 – which has been trending upward since 2019, the insurer said.
The report also revealed that Canadians reporting poor mental health (32%) were more likely to take time off due to disability than those who report good mental health (12%). Among employees, feelings of burnout were the main source of their stress (42%), followed by fear of financial issues if they get sick or have COVID (39%), and increased work hours/workload (33%).
RBC Insurance did find, however, that feelings of stress or anxiety were significantly lower among respondents that indicated there was support in place. Those who had a group benefits plan (60%) and bought their own disability coverage (66%) were more likely to rate their mental health as “excellent” or “good.” But the poll also said that those who rated their mental health as “excellent” or “good” dropped 8% from the previous year.
Of note is that fewer people reported having disability coverage in 2021 compared to 2020, either through their workplace benefits (down 6%) or an individual disability plan (down 9%).
"The number of Canadians with disability coverage has declined from the peak of the pandemic to today," said Winslow. "But as mental health challenges continue to rise and the future remains uncertain, it's more important than ever for all Canadians to consider their options for financial protection."
