A publicly-funded healthcare system and high quality of life haven’t erased mental well-being struggles in Canada. Every day, people across our country run into barriers that prevent them from accessing the support and resources they need.
From excessive wait times to see psychiatric specialists, to the shortage of inpatient beds in mental health facilities, to a lack of culturally appropriate care for Indigenous peoples and other diverse groups—many crucial needs still go unmet.
But bridging these gaps doesn’t have to mean starting from zero. There are proven frameworks from around the world we can adapt and apply here at home.
By reviewing mental health best practices worldwide, we can better understand how to end stigma, create supportive spaces, and make quality care available to everyone, when and where they need it.
Let’s explore mental health initiatives by country and how they stand out as global benchmarks for success.
5 Global Mental Health Lessons Canada Can Learn From
When it comes to workplace mental health, there’s no shortage of inspiring examples from around the world. We’ve chosen five of the most notable international case studies based on impact and how they compare to current initiatives and systems in Canada.
1. Australia’s Research Hub for Employee Wellbeing
This exciting collaboration united universities, research institutions, and industry leaders to drive groundbreaking research—and, more importantly, to make real improvements in employee wellbeing across industries. Not only was the research used to inform policies around workplace mental health standards and practices, but it was published in reputable journals and made accessible to everyone—including employers, employees, and other decision-makers.
Where Canada Falls Short
At present, Canada doesn’t have a single, fully centralized research hub for mental health—so research is often scattered across universities, hospitals, and provincial networks, leading to overlapping efforts or gaps in key areas of research.
2. The UK’s Thriving at Work Standards
Thriving at Work is a framework of six core standards aimed at improving mental health support within workplaces. The document—produced by the UK government, was designed to be practical and applicable across various organizations, regardless of size or sector, so employers could gain the information necessary to make teams feel supported, valued, and motivated to do their best work.
After being provided with the standards, 95% of organizations hit at least one of the core standards, and 52% meet all ten.
Where Canada Falls Short
In Canada, there’s no law requiring workplaces to follow mental health standards. The government provides guidance, but it’s voluntary and varies widely across provinces and industries.
3. Portugal’s Open Dialogue Approach to Mental Healthcare
Unlike here in Canada, where clinicians make decisions for patients with little or no input from family members, third-party care providers, etc, healthcare professionals in Portugal take a more collaborative and holistic approach to medical treatment.
As part of their “open dialogue” approach, Portuguese health practitioners engage family members, friends, social workers, therapists, and other professionals throughout the treatment process. They also view recovery through the lenses of social functioning and well-being, rather than symptom reduction alone.
As part of the Open Dialogue Pilot Program, patients experienced an average 32% reduction in symptom severity and a 34% decrease in psychological distress.
Where Canada Falls Short
Canada’s mental health system is fragmented, with limited coordination and little involvement of family or social support. As a result, many patients don’t get help early enough or the ongoing support they need, which slows recovery and leaves people struggling longer.
4. Brazil’s Focus on Marginalized Populations
The Brazilian healthcare system, known as SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde), uses information about income, living conditions, and health trends to determine which areas of the country have the greatest needs—making Brazil one of the top mental health policy leaders in the world. Based on their findings, funding and healthcare staff are then directed to areas where people are struggling the most.
This approach applies to both primary care and psychological care, with a focus on early intervention and prevention. If mental health risks are higher in areas of crime or in Indigenous communities, for example, the government prioritizes screenings, counseling, and community programs in these areas before crises develop.
Where Canada Falls Short
Mental health funding is less targeted here in Canada. While there are programs for vulnerable groups, there isn’t a nationwide system that mandates the use of social and health data to prioritize resources for those who need them most.
5. Denmark’s Integration of Digital Mental Health Services
Denmark is the global leader of digitization in mental health services. Their Center for Telepsychiatry launched the Danish Internet Psychiatry Clinic back in 2014, bringing online therapy to adults with mild to moderate depression and anxiety—a group that often gets overlooked.
The program uses a personalized, automated 10–12 week treatment course, with psychologists checking in only for diagnostics and supportive messages. This approach means one psychologist can help far more people than traditional therapy would allow. By 2018, it had grown into a nationwide program, proving that smart use of technology can make mental health care more accessible, efficient, and effective.
Where Canada Falls Short
Right now in Canada, digital mental health is a bit all over the place. There are provincial programs, a handful of private platforms, and telehealth services in some areas—but it’s not woven into the system at a national level. This is especially concerning in terms of assessment, since there’s no standardized way to track or measure outcomes across the country.
Applying Global Mental Health Strategies in Canadian Workplaces: A Practical Guide
Change at the federal level requires continued advocacy by all Canadians, but that doesn’t mean we can’t achieve smaller positive shifts within our workplaces. There’s plenty of inspiration from international mental health initiatives that can be applied to corporate wellness strategies.
Whether it’s taking a collaborative, dialogue-based approach to managing mental health concerns, tailoring support for employees who are most at risk (frontline staff, etc) or implementing proactive check-ins to prevent burnout before it starts, Canadian employers can put learning into practice in multiple ways.
Here’s how to get started:
- Conduct an assessment. Start by figuring out what your employees really need and where the gaps are.
- Adapt strategies to local laws, culture, and company norms. Make sure your approach fits your workplace and complies with regulations.
- Set clear, measurable goals. Decide what success looks like and how you’ll know you’ve achieved it.
- Engage senior management and stakeholders. Get buy-in early so leaders can champion and support the initiative.
- Collect continuous feedback. Check in regularly with employees to see what’s working and adjust as needed.
Improve Organizational Performance. Train Your Team to Succeed.
Are absenteeism rates and disengagement causing you concern? These are signs something deeper is going on beneath the surface. In our mental health training sessions, we work with teams to address these challenges head-on—helping you build resilience, communicate better, and achieve lasting, positive change.