Research team launches mental wellness survey to better understand Nova Scotians needs

A new survey at wellnssurvey.ca is giving Nova Scotians a chance to share their experiences with mental health, substance use and gambling. 

The WellNS research team is in the field with the Nova Scotia Mental Wellness Survey to gather valuable information about these issues.

Many people in the province face challenges related to mental health and substance use, but current data does not fully capture the struggles or factors that help people stay well. The WellNS team hopes that collecting better information will lead to improved policies and services for residents.

“Understanding the mental wellness of Nova Scotians is more important than ever,” said Sam Hodder, principal investigator and assistant professor at Cape Breton University’s School of Nursing. “This survey gives us a vital opportunity to hear directly from people across the province about their experiences, needs, and the supports that matter most to them. The insights we gain will help inform programs, policies, and services that reflect the real lives of our communities” said Hodder, who is also an affiliate scientist with Nova Scotia Health. 

The WellNS effort is a collaboration between Nova Scotia Health and Cape Breton University (CBU) with funding from the Office of Addictions and Mental Health.

Jenna MacQueen, of Nova Scotia Health, is helping coordinate the research project alongside a community coordinator at CBU. 

“One of the big challenges in Nova Scotia is the lack of comprehensive data to truly understand the landscape of mental health, substance use, gambling and overall mental wellness,” said MacQueen. “This data is crucial for planning services, supports and policies. While we do have access to some national datasets, like those from Statistics Canada, the sample size for Nova Scotia is quite small,” she said from her Cape Breton office.

“To address this, we wanted to create something more robust, diverse and inclusive. So, we’ve designed our own homegrown survey, using the best available evidence and tailored specifically to the Nova Scotia context. This allows us to focus on the province's unique services, prominent issues, and existing gaps in support.”

The confidential anonymous survey is open until end of August and participation is simple. Residents can visit www.wellnssurvey.ca to learn more or to participate.

By taking a few minutes to complete it, Nova Scotians can help create positive changes for mental health resources in their communities. Anyone who takes part can also be entered into a draw for a prize.

Nova Scotia youth and adults can complete the survey themselves and parents or guardians can participate on behalf of their children under 13. 

“We want to hear from all families, youth, adults. Families and young people play a crucial role in shaping the future of mental wellness in Nova Scotia. This survey is a chance for their experiences to be heard and to help build a strong foundation of support for everyone. The more voices we hear, across generations and communities, the more meaningful and useful this work becomes,” Hodder said. 

Participation has been high since it was introduced a few months ago. The ongoing community engagement and outreach efforts made a difference in promoting and spreading the word about the survey, MacQueen said. Community support has been encouraging, and people are showing a strong commitment to understanding and improving mental wellness in our province. That collective support is what makes this work possible.

The findings will be made public. “One of the biggest objectives is ensuring these findings reach Nova Scotians, service providers, system planners and policy makers.” MacQueen said. “This will allow communities to better understand the state of mental health, wellness, and substance use to inform meaningful change.”

Of key importance, she said, is knowing the project focuses on wellness, not just illness.

“It’s about understanding the full picture: access to support, food security, and factors relating to wellness; things that can make a real difference in someone's life. Our goal is to move beyond simply measuring illness. We want to capture the richness of Nova Scotia and highlight the elements that contribute to overall well-being."

Photo of (L-R) members of the WellNS research team: Jenna MacQueen, Sam Hodder and Amita Goyal.