Nearly half of young men disengage from mental health care before their needs are met, new report finds

GreenShield and Mental Health Research Canada study highlights a system not designed for young men, where one in three view seeking help for mental health challenges as weakness

TORONTO, June 10, 2026 /CNW/ - A new report from GreenShield, Canada's only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, in partnership with Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC), finds that one in three young Canadian men ages 16-29 view seeking help for mental health challenges as a sign of weakness.

Despite significant need – one in five report moderately severe to severe depression or anxiety – many are not accessing or staying in care. Forty-four per cent of those who needed support last year did not access it, while nearly half of those who did disengage before their needs were met.

The findings point to a system that is not built for how young men seek help or stay engaged in care.

Many are not turning to professional support. Instead, they rely on higher-risk coping mechanisms such as gambling and substance use, or turn to AI tools and online forums where quality and safety are not guaranteed.

The findings come at a pivotal moment, as Canada begins work on its first Men and Boys' Health Strategy, creating an opportunity to address these gaps at a systems level.

"Stigma remains a real barrier for many young men yet it's only part of the picture," said Zahid Salman, President and CEO of GreenShield. "Too often, care is not designed for how they seek or engage with support, which is why we're seeing so many disengage or turn elsewhere. As Canada begins work on its first Men and Boys' Health Strategy, we have a critical opportunity to design care that reflects how young men seek help, engage with support, and stay on the path to better health."

Key insights from the report

• Stigma and disengagement: One in three young men view seeking help for mental health challenges as a sign of weakness, rising to 50% among newcomers. Among those who seek help, 49% disengage – most often due to lack of control (20%), inflexible scheduling (18%) and limited progress (15%).
• Riskier coping: Young men are two to three times more likely to rely on unhealthy coping strategies, such as gambling and substance use, increasing the risk of long-term mental health, financial, and social challenges. Gambling risk for young men is roughly double the national average at 15% vs 7-8%.
• Equity-deserving young men: Racialized young men are less likely to turn to family and friends (54% vs. 68%) and nearly twice as likely not to speak to anyone about their concerns (29% vs. 15%). Higher stigma among newcomers points to compounding barriers to care.
• AI and online forums: While young men are less likely to seek support overall, they are as likely as young women to turn to AI tools (12%, ages 16–29) and more likely to seek help through online forums (7% vs. 3%).
• One-size-fits-all approaches are falling short: Expanding access alone is not enough. Meeting the needs of young men requires solutions that reflect how they seek support and enable earlier, sustained engagement in care.

"Young men's mental health needs have been overlooked for too long," said Akela Peoples, President and CEO, Mental Health Research Canada. "What we're seeing is not just a gap in access, but a delay in care and real challenges navigating the system. Many young men are not recognizing challenges early or finding the right support until issues become more severe – highlighting the need for approaches that encourage earlier help-seeking and sustained engagement."

Purpose-built care for young men

As a purpose-driven non-profit, GreenShield is committed to helping young Canadians get the support they need to thrive. Through its Youth Mental Health Initiative, GreenShield is working with community partners and young people across the country to co-create solutions built by and for youth.

A particular focus is on equity-seeking communities, where the need for culturally appropriate care is most acute.

As part of this effort GreenShield launched the pilot of its Youth Mental Health Ecosystem last year -- a centralized digital platform that connects users to timely, culturally relevant support through a single, easy-to-navigate experience. The platform is designed to reduce common barriers to care, including cost, long wait times and challenges in finding appropriate support.

Recognizing the unique challenges young men face in accessing and staying engaged in care, GreenShield has sharpened its focus on solutions shaped by their needs and lived experiences. Earlier this year, it convened national and community-based organizations -- including Movember, the Canadian Men's Health Foundation, Jack.org, YAAACE and The Black Daddies Club -- to help inform more coordinated, community-driven approaches.

By working alongside research partners, community organizations and employers, GreenShield is helping to build a more inclusive and responsive system that better reflects how young men seek support and helps keep them engaged in care.

Since 2020, GreenShield has invested $29.1 million in social impact initiatives related to mental health – including more than $8 million in youth mental health – helping over 100,000 young people accessing free, culturally appropriate services and resources through these efforts.

Read the full report.

Methodology

This online survey was conducted between Feb 4-20, 2026, among a sample of 3,519 adult Canadians. It has a margin of error of +/- 1.7% with 95% confidence interval. This ran alongside the twenty-seventh poll of this series. This is a blind study, meaning that participants were unaware of the subject matter before beginning the survey. National results have been weighted by the most current census data in terms of gender, age, and region to ensure the total sample is representative of the population.

About GreenShield 

As Canada's only national non-profit health care and insurance organization, GreenShield believes health care is a right, not a privilege. We're dedicated to improving health outcomes, driving systemic change, and building a future where every Canadian can reach their full health and well-being potential.

We are revolutionizing the health care and insurance experience by bringing coverage and care together in one place. Through our unique integrated payer-provider ("payvider") model, we offer insurance, administer benefits and pay claims as a 'payer' while offering health care services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease management as a 'provider'.    

As a non-profit social enterprise without shareholders, we reinvest our excess earnings to directly support underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, we've positively impacted the health and well-being of over one million Canadians since 2020.   

What's driving us now is the commitment to measurably impact an additional three million Canadians by 2030 – across mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management – through scalable initiatives that deliver meaningful change in pursuit of our mission of Better Health for All.  

GreenShield is proud to be recognized multiple times as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures, certified annually as a leading Imagine Canada Caring Company, and honoured on Fortune's prestigious Change the World list – a testament to our sustained commitment to purpose-driven innovation and impact.   

About MHRC 

As an independent national charity, we work hard towards a future where evidence, data and stakeholder engagement are at the centre of improving mental health in Canada. We are dedicated to turning mental health research into real-world solutions. We collaborate with community organizations, funders, service providers, researchers and people with lived experience to bridge gaps in care through national population polling, rapid data reporting, and knowledge mobilization to inform policy to improve outcomes. We also invest in the next generation of researchers through studentships and foster collaborations between academia and communities to drive innovation. Visit www.mhrc.ca to access our many reports on the state of mental health in Canada.

SOURCE GreenShield

For media inquiries or further information, please contact: Sarah Mortimer, Communications Manager, [email protected]