The TELUS Mental Health Index (MHI) for February 2024 posted an overall score of 63.2, marking a decrease from January's score of 63.5. In its MHI report, TELUS Health observes that Canadian workers' mental health scores have fallen to levels comparable to those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

After reaching a peak of 65.2 in July 2023, the overall mental health index score began to slide. It has hovered around 63 points since October 2023. According to TELUS Health's guidelines, a mental health score between 50 and 79 is considered strained. At its first publication in April 2020, the overall mental health score was 63. 

The Mental Health Index reveals that in February 2024, 35 percent of Canadian workers were at high risk of mental health issues, and 42 percent were at moderate risk. Only 23 percent were at low risk. These indicators have stagnated. “Nearly four years since the launch of the MHI in April 2020, there is a one per cent increase in high-risk workers and a two per cent increase in low-risk workers,” the report's authors write. 

The index is based on a monthly online survey of about 3,000 Canadian workers. With nearly four years of data now, its history reveals some recurring trends. For instance, peaks tend to occur more in the summer, and troughs in the winter. In February 2023, the overall index score hit a low of 62.9. The overall score had not fallen this low since December 2020, during the second lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Another trend is that anxiety and isolation continue to weigh on Canadians' morale. Among the mental health subscores, anxiety and isolation have been at the bottom for 22 consecutive months. "Anxiety and isolation have been the lowest mental health sub-scores for 22 consecutive months," the MHI report clarifies. Its authors add that at 56.3, the secondary anxiety score is approaching lows reached during the pandemic. 

The following chart shows that, with the exception of optimism and isolation, all mental health subscores have decreased between January and February: 

Suboptimal performance 

"Nearly two-thirds of workers say they are not performing at their optimal level," the TELUS Health report states. 

According to the report, younger workers seek better support from their managers. "Workers under 40 are 65 per cent more likely to report needing better support from their manager and their co-workers to perform better at work," the report says. 

To improve their work performance, nearly a quarter of respondents say they would need better support from their manager, and one in five (21 percent) would need more effective resources, tools, or technologies, the report notes. Nineteen percent mentioned the need for more control over how they perform their tasks, and 17 percent say they would need better support from their colleagues. 

Decline in productivity 

The report also reveals that 70 percent of workers have recently noticed a decline in their productivity. Within this group, one in seven primarily attributes their reduced productivity to an excessive workload. Thirteen percent attribute it mainly to personal issues, and 11 percent to a lack of purpose or interest in their work. Finally, 10 percent cite illness or physical health problems as the main cause of their productivity decline. 

Workers who primarily attribute their productivity decline to personal issues have the worst mental health score, at 51.1. This score is close to the demarcation line for workers at risk regarding mental health. It is 25 points lower than the score for workers who do not report a productivity decline (76.4), and 12 points below the national average of 63.2. 

Employment brings happiness 

Four per cent of participants in the February 2024 Index survey reported being unemployed, and 10 percent reported a reduction in their salary or work hours since January. 

Participants whose salary has decreased display a mental health score of 45.8, the lowest score. It is followed by a mental health score of 54.6 among participants whose work hours have been reduced. 

The mental health score is better among those whose salary or work hours have not changed (64.3), and those currently unemployed (64.6). 

Blue-collar workers participating in the survey show a lower mental health score compared to service sector workers, at 62.5 versus 62.7. Office workers display a better score than these two groups, at 63.6. 

Managers have a higher mental health score than non-managers, at 64.4 compared to 62.5. Those working for a company with 1,001 to 5,000 employees display a mental health score of 65.1, while those at companies with 501 to 1,000 employees score 60.6. 

Persistent disparities 

"Since the launch of the MHI, women have had significantly lower mental health scores than men.," the authors of the TELUS Health report write. They report that in February 2024, the mental health score for women was 60.6, compared to 65.8 for men. 

The index also revealed differences between the mental health scores of workers with minor children and those without. These differences have persisted since the launch of the Index. Workers with at least one minor child score lower in mental health than those without, at 60.6 compared to 64.5. 

Money matters 

Workers without an emergency fund again obtain a lower mental health score, at 47.9. This is a score that falls into the “distressed” zone, according to the guidelines established in the Index. The contrast is stark compared to the overall mental health score of 63.2. Workers with an emergency fund, on the other hand, achieve an overall mental health score of 69.3. 

If given $1,000 to spend on health care, 19 percent of workers would use this amount to manage their weight. Another 15 percent would allocate the $1,000 to their mental health, and 12 percent to their sleep issues. 

Finally, 11 percent would use it to treat their chronic pain. The report from the Mental Health Index reveals that nearly two out of five workers (39 percent) report suffering from chronic physical, cognitive, emotional, psychological, or mental health problems.