Opening Eyes, Opening Minds: The Ontario Burden of Mental Illness and Addictions Report

Opening Eyes, Opening Minds: The Ontario Burden of Mental Illness and Addictions Report is the third and final report in a series of burden of disease reports produced with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. The study quantifies the burden of mental illness and addictions in Ontario.

Ontarians suffer a high burden of illness from mental illness and addictions - more than 1.5 times that of all cancers and more than seven times that of all infectious diseases. 

The findings of this study highlight the need for health care providers, practitioners, policy-makers and researchers to work together to: 

  • Identify effective mental health promotion, as well as mental illness and addiction prevention interventions
  • Improve access to treatment for those suffering from mental illness and addiction

Given the significant burden, there is a need to consider population-based promotion, prevention and treatment strategies aimed at reducing the burden of mental illness and addictions in Ontario.

Updated 1 Oct 2012