Women's mental health is shaped by life-stage transitions and compounded by external stressors such as the rising cost of living, highlighting the need for stronger supports
This article is produced in partnership with Greenshield
The mental health challenges facing women in Canada are complex and growing, according to the 2025 Women’s Mental Health Report by GreenShield in partnership with Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC). Women reported having unmet mental health needs at key life transitions that are heightened for women from equity-seeking populations. These challenges don’t just impact families and communities, but workplaces as well. For employers, the findings point to an urgent need to reimagine how care can be inclusive, accessible, and supports women through every life stage.
To help close the mental health care gaps revealed in the report, GreenShield is taking action. As Canada’s first fully integrated payer-provider, the organization is uniquely positioned to improve system navigation and address persistent barriers to care. Through its community partnerships, GreenShield also co-creates culturally appropriate services that better reflect the diverse experiences and needs of women.
This year’s research highlights how the social, political and economic climates are intensifying mental health challenges, exposing unique and entrenched obstacles for women. While women are more likely to seek help when they need it, nearly half of those surveyed for the report said they could not afford mental health services or did not have sufficient coverage. This reality is made more stark by the fact that women’s mental health challenges are compounded today by a variety of external stressors, including the rise in cost of living.
The report found that these pressures are magnified for 2SLGBTQI+ and racialized women, who face overlapping barriers to both access and culturally relevant care. These systemic inequities are not theoretical: they manifest in workplaces every day, influencing retention and employee engagement.
GreenShield and MHRC’s report data paints a compelling picture of how women’s mental health needs shift over time and life stages, underscoring the need for mental health supports that evolve along with these transitions. For example, over 50% of Canadian women feel unprepared for menopause, and nearly 60% are unaware that symptoms like anxiety, depression, and memory issues are linked to this transition.
During family transitions, including pregnancy, early parenting, and caregiving, mental health challenges often intensify. Two-thirds of Canadian mothers say they are concerned about their mental health, with half reporting they feel burned out frequently or constantly. These concerns are even higher among racialized mothers, 39 percent of whom are very concerned, compared to 28 percent of Caucasian mothers.
In midlife, pressures peak for women in the so-called “sandwich generation,” who are simultaneously managing menopause and caregiving for both children and aging parents. Five percent of women fall into this group, and among them, 41 percent report financial hardship due to caregiving responsibilities, while an overwhelming 93 percent say these responsibilities have negatively impacted their health. Older caregivers, especially those over 65, are often the least likely to access formal supports, creating compounding risks for their own well-being.
The findings highlight a critical gap in how mental health is addressed across workplaces. There is a pressing need for solutions that are not only affordable and inclusive but also grounded in the lived experiences of individuals. The report calls for gender-responsive approaches to mental health, ones that recognize how identity, life stage, and social context influence the types of support that are most effective. For employers, this signals a shift from offering standard mental health benefits to fundamentally rethinking workplace policies and programs. This includes expanding access to culturally relevant care, integrating mental health into broader wellbeing strategies, and providing flexibility for employees managing caregiving responsibilities or personal health challenges.
As a non-profit health care and insurance innovator, GreenShield is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation—bridging gaps in care, advancing equity, and helping organizations build healthier, more resilient workforces.
Recognizing that mental health cannot be addressed in isolation, GreenShield has recently expanded its services to take a broader, whole-person view of care. Earlier this year, the purpose-driven organization launched Canada’s first Personalized Hormonal Health Program, a nurse-led initiative designed to support women through key life-stage transitions such as menopause and postpartum recovery. The program includes hormone panel testing, personalized care plans, virtual consultations, and home delivery of treatments, fully integrated into GreenShield’s broader health ecosystem.
“Hormonal health must be part of the conversation as we deepen our focus on women’s mental health,” said Joe Blomeley, Executive Vice President, GreenShield Health. “Our new program meets women where they are, offering personalized, nurse-led support that reflects the realities of life-stage transitions and helps close critical gaps in care.”
By understanding the barriers women face and acting on the insights in this research, employers can create healthier, more resilient workplaces where women are supported not just to cope, but to succeed. The cost of inaction is high, but the benefits of inclusive, comprehensive mental health strategies are even higher.
