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Cash-strapped millennials and Gen Zers are struggling with sky-high rents and rising costs of living, with mental health experts saying things like therapy are seen as luxuries to help make ends meet.
“If I had to spend $80 a week on therapy, I wouldn’t do it. I have too many other responsibilities,” said Steven Lecky, 36, who noted that he prioritizes things like paying his mortgage to keep a roof over his family’s head.
“I’m already in a state where I have to choose whether I’m going to save a little bit of money or have a social life,” he said. “If I really want to go out, I really have to watch my pennies.”
Mental health experts say many young adults say their lives lack meaning or purpose, with financial stress, food and housing insecurity, unemployment, loneliness and performance pressure cited as leading causes of anxiety and depression. And experts suggest they often don’t get the help they need to cope with these mental health issues.
- Has paying for essentials stopped you from seeking mental health care? Email ask@cbc.ca
“When we look at the hierarchy of needs, food, water, and shelter are the most basic needs,” says Jessica Kristy, a registered social worker with the online therapy practice Shift Collab.
“When food prices go up, the cost of living goes up and basic needs are not being met, that is a threat to security and people are in survival mode.”
Data released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information Earlier this year, 29 percent of Canadians aged 18 and older said they would experience depression, anxiety or another mental health condition in 2023, up from just 20 percent in 2016.
On average, private therapy costs $150 per hour, but rates can range from $60 to $250 depending on a variety of factors. So even if someone wants two therapy sessions per month, that could add up to $3,600 annually.
The average income for Canadians between the ages of 25 and 54 is $68,000, according to Statistics Canada. So once the rent, groceries and bills are paid, there’s not much left over for therapy.
Alive or barely surviving
People work hard to make ends meet and change their expectations of what their lives should be, says Kristy. She notes that if people can’t achieve their goals, they can feel like they’re behind in life. Trying to catch up can eventually lead to burnout.
According to mental health experts, you may feel like you’re stuck in a vicious cycle. The stresses of life can lead to the need for therapy. And if you can’t afford therapy, it can lead to even more stress and anxiety.
Gen Z and millennials are more vulnerable to job insecurity and rising living costs early in their careers, leading to increased stress, Dr. Saunaia Ahmad, a clinical psychologist and director of the Toronto Psychology Clinic, told CBC News.
“It’s a scary thought not knowing if you’re going to be able to pay the rent in a given month, if you’re going to be able to pay for food, if you’re going to have a partner, what the future holds,” said Dr. Natasha Saunders, a physician and scientist at ICES in Ontario, formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
Many people are also unemployed and struggling to find work, with Canada’s unemployment rate rising to 6.6 per cent in August, the highest level since 2017, excluding the erratic fluctuations of the pandemic.
According to Dr. Saunaia Ahmad, director and clinical psychologist at the Toronto Psychology Clinic, this is a generation that is facing increased unemployment and job insecurity early in their careers.
“There is a greater vulnerability and impact for Gen Z and Millennials with job insecurity and rising costs of living, which is causing them a lot of stress. And when there is more stress and fewer resources, people are more likely to experience mental health issues,” she said.
For 32-year-old Toronto singer-songwriter Aditi Kujur, it’s unfair that people have to put off therapy if they don’t have money or resources.
“What do they do and where do they go,” she asked. “Getting therapy honestly feels more like a luxury because of how expensive it can get.”
Jessica Kristy, a licensed social worker at online therapy practice Shift Collab, told CBC News that people often have to postpone or cancel their sessions because they no longer have insurance and have to pay for everything out of pocket.
Barriers to access to therapy
According to mental health experts CBC spoke to, one of the biggest barriers to seeking care is cost. They noted that there is also a lack of funding and staffing for mental health in the public health system, which can lead to extremely long wait times.
“In terms of quality of care, both public and private care are equally good,” Ahmad said, adding that the problem in the public sector is that there are not enough staff and people often need more sessions than are offered.
Some people prefer a private clinic because it is flexible in the times they can meet. Waiting lists are short or non-existent and people can choose someone who can meet their specific needs.
People who are fortunate enough to have insurance or benefits usually only have enough to cover a few sessions, says Kristy, the social worker. After that, out-of-pocket expenses can be higher than expected, even if a sliding scale is offered. That means they may delay or drop out of sessions even when progress is being made, she says.
While mental health is no longer stigmatized, experts say it is still not treated the same as physical illness, even though it can be just as debilitating.
Consequences of postponing care
“Early intervention is key,” said Jo Henderson, executive director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario and a scientist at CAMH, adding that young people often delay seeking help until things get out of hand. And the consequences of delaying help are worse.
Henderson told CBC News in an interview that the period when mental health issues are most prevalent is in young adulthood, when people are trying to build relationships, education, work and housing. They often struggle to deal with all of these issues.
Jo Henderson, director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario and a scientist at CAMH, told CBC News that not being able to get therapy when you need it can have consequences for a person’s development.
“It has a huge impact if you don’t have access to therapy when you need it, especially if you’re in the developmental stages of adolescence or early adulthood,” Henderson said.
“Not only does it impact mental health, but it can also change their developmental trajectory.”
Henderson also says that not being able to access mental health services can have long-term consequences, such as university students being unable to complete their studies or employees being unable to perform their work duties.
If you or someone you know is struggling with this, here’s where you can get help:
This guide of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health describes how to talk to someone about suicide you are concerned about.
