Time and cost push seven in ten to delay therapy as burnout climbs
Canadian mothers spend four times more time focused on their family's needs than on their own mental health.
That finding comes from a new national survey released by GreenShield, which reports that 92 percent of Canadian mothers carry the mental load for their families, defined in the release as the behind-the-scenes work of planning, organizing, and anticipating what a household needs.
The survey found 68 percent of mothers say that load increases during the back-to-school season, when families take on new routines, financial pressures, and competing demands at home and work.
Sixty-five percent report feeling overwhelmed, and more than half experience burnout or anxiety, according to GreenShield.
Seventy-one percent have delayed or avoided seeking mental health support, GreenShield reported, most often because of time and cost barriers.
Concerns about children account for a further share of that load.
The survey put the proportion of mothers who spend significant time worrying about their children's mental health at 74 percent, while 86 percent said they are concerned about the impact of online content and social media.
Khush Amaria, director of clinical services at GreenShield Health, said in the release that the mental load carried by many mothers "never really switches off."
Much of the work keeping family life running happens behind the scenes, per Amaria, and back-to-school makes it heavier as routines change.
She said therapy can help women manage those pressures before reaching a breaking point.
Women often put their own needs at "the bottom of the list" while caring for everyone else, said Mandy Mail, executive vice president of GreenShield Cares, in the same release.
Mail said finding culturally appropriate care adds another layer of complexity for many racialized and marginalized women, and that the program aims to remove those barriers.
