Nearly three-quarters of Canadians are considered to have "complete mental health," according to the results of the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey.

Statistics Canada released the findings from the survey Wednesday morning. Since 2007, the annual survey has collected information from Canadians about their health status and health care utilization.

Based off the results of the 2012 survey, StatsCan found 76.9 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older were categorized as having "flourishing mental health," 1.5 per cent were categorized as "languishing," and 21.6 per cent were in moderate mental health (neither flourishing nor languishing).

To assess mental health, survey respondents answered 14 questions about the perception of their own emotional well-being and positive functioning. Depending on their answers, the respondents were categorized to have either be in "flourishing," "languishing," or "moderate" mental health.

Combining these three classifications with information about the presence or absence of a mental illness, StatsCan estimates 72.5 per cent of Canadians are considered to have "complete mental health."

This means they are "flourishing" and did not meet criteria for six major mental disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and alcohol, cannabis or other drug abuse or dependence), according to the national agency.

StatsCan also found the following:

  • Men and women were equally likely to have complete mental health at 72 per cent and 73 per cent respectively.
  • The percentage of people with complete mental health increased with age, rising from 65 per cent for Canadians between the ages of 15 to 25 to nearly 80 per cent for Canadians aged 65 and older.
  • Having a partner was associated with having complete mental health, with 77 per cent of coupled Canadians in complete mental health. Meanwhile, 72 per cent of Canadians who were widowed, separated or divorced were in complete mental health, and 64 per cent of single Canadians were in complete mental health.
  • Lower income and education levels were associated with a lower likelihood of complete mental health, with 69 per cent of people without a post-secondary education in complete mental health compared to 74 per cent of people who had completed post-secondary education.
  • Canadians who reported that religious or spiritual beliefs were a part of their daily lives were significantly more likely to be in complete mental health (76 per cent) compared to those who did not report having strong spirituality (66 per cent).
  • Canadians with pain that prevented them from participating in activities were less likely to be in complete mental health than people with no pain, at 55 per cent and 75 per cent respectively.

Fear of being judged affects survey results: CMHA

But Canadian Mental Health Association CEO Peter Coleridge said the results from the StatsCan report may not be showing the full picture, because Canadians with mental health problems may not be willing to divulge this information to interviewers in fear of being judged.

"That's what our society does: we judge mental health issues and mental health illness as a sign of weakness. That would impact the responses that an interviewer would get," he told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview, adding that mental illness continues to be highly stigmatized.

The CMHA estimates one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.

Coleridge added the report is also missing information about First Nations communities living on remote reserves, members of the military and Canadians living in institutions, all of whom are not included in the survey. "We know very little about the status of these groups in terms of their mental health flourishing or languishing," he said.

However, he said in many ways the StatsCan report confirms what members of the mental health community have known for several years --Canadians enjoy "significant" mental health, but there are certain groups that face challenges.

In particular, the report reinforces the social determinants of mental health, specifically the role that housing, income and education have on one's well-being, he said.

"For many years, the mental health community has been saying that we have to do more to ensure that people with mental health issues have access to supportive housing, education, and a steady income," Coleridge said.

He added while he appreciates the work StatsCan is doing to look into Canadians' mental health, more focus should be placed on collecting objective population health measures through health care providers.