Mental Health Promotion

Promoting Mental Health Means Promoting the Best of Ourselves

The Mental Health Promotion program leads and supports national activities which promote positive mental health.

PHAC defines positive mental health as "the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a positive sense of emotional and spiritual well-being that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity". PHAC strives to promote the mental health of Canadians in collaboration with key mental health partners and stakeholders such as other federal, provincial and territorial counterparts, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and other mental health organizations, researchers, educators/academia.

The program:

• coordinates federal/provincial/territorial action on mental health promotion;
• collaborates with stakeholders and partners to generate evidence-based knowledge to assist in the design of policies and programs;
• and develops public education and awareness activities on positive mental health and its relationship to overall health.

The goal of the program is to enable key mental health stakeholders and partners to develop and deliver policies and programs which address positive mental health and the underlying conditions of poor mental health, such as poverty, homelessness and unemployment. Programs which promote positive mental health have been found to reduce the risks of mental illness and related disorders. The program, which is part of the Integrated Strategy on Healthy Living and Chronic Disease (2007), is the only federal program with a focus on the promotion of positive mental health for Canadians.

Disclaimer: The MHPU website provides general information and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. If you feel you need advice, please see your health care professional.