Mental Health Awareness: Why Natural Options Matter—And Why They’re At Risk
May is Mental Health Awareness month, an important time to recognize the very real challenges many Canadians face and honour the strength that it takes to care for one’s emotional well-being.
It’s also a time to acknowledge that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing. For countless Canadians, natural health products have become essential tools in managing stress, anxiety, low mood, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and more. From nutritional support to herbal remedies, these products play a vital role in our mental health, and yet, they’re under serious threat.
Let’s talk about why.
Natural Health Products Offer Real Support
Mental health is deeply connected to physical and nutritional health. Our brain and nervous system need specific vitamins, minerals, essential fats, amino acids, hormones and daily rhythms (ex. Sufficient sleep) to function properly. As a result, many Canadians turn to supplementation for support.
But these tools are under threat.
Regulations That Don’t Fit
Recent regulatory changes from Health Canada, including the Self-Care Framework and Cost Recovery Fee program, are creating massive new barriers for natural health products. These new regulations will be especially challenging for small and medium-sized businesses to comply with.
These changes include:
- Skyrocketing costs: New annual licensing fees and compliance costs will drive many small and medium-sized natural health product companies out of business or force them to discontinue products and raise prices.
- Severe fines: New fines up to $5,000,000 per day are destructive, rather than punitive.
- Drug-style regulations: Natural health products are being lumped into the same regulatory category as pharmaceutical drugs, despite their fundamentally different nature, risk-profile, and benefits.
This means fewer options and less information for Canadians seeking natural support, not just for physical health, but for mental health too.
Important Note: Natural health products have been safely regulated in Canada for decades under the “Natural Health Products Regulations” created in 2004. Health Canada already had all the powers it needed to enforce safety, stop bad actors, and protect the public. (1)
Mental Health Support Shouldn’t Be Regulated Away
At a time when Canada is facing record levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout, we need more options, not fewer. Why is Health Canada making it harder for Canadians to access the support they want?
According to 2022/2023 data from Mental Health Research Canada (2) and Statistics Canada (3):
- 1 in 10 Canadians report experiencing high levels of anxiety and/or depression.
- 1 in 4 working Canadians report experiencing burnout ‘most of the time’ or ‘always’. In some professions it is much higher (ex. 38% of health care workers).
- More than 1 in 4 (28%) of Canadians report that their mental health symptoms affect their daily functioning.
- The proportion of Canadians over 15 years old with a generalized anxiety disorder has doubled from 2012 to 2022, from 2.6% to 5.2%.
We should be empowering individuals to take charge of their health, not removing basic tools from their toolkit because of bureaucratic overreach.
Let’s Keep All Mental Health Support Accessible
At the NHPPA, we are dedicated to protecting Canadian’s access to natural health products.
If this message resonates with you, we invite you to take action today.
Subscribe to our email newsletter and promptly participate in all campaigns. We frequently call on our community to engage with Members of Parliament and other decision-makers by mailing letters, sending emails, signing petitions, and supporting you with talking points for in-person interactions.
Let’s honour Mental Health Awareness Month not just with words, but with action.
We Want To Hear From You
Natural health products have transformed the lives of countless Canadians, and we know they’ve likely played a role in your health journey, too.
If natural health products have improved your life, we invite you to share your story.
Your experience is powerful and demonstrates why natural health products must remain accessible and affordable for all Canadians.
Whether it’s a story of recovery or prevention, we want to hear how natural health products have made a difference for you.
References
- Government of Canada (2025). Natural Health Products Regulations. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-2003-196
- Mental Health Research Canada (2023). Key Facts On Mental Health. https://www.mhrc.ca/key-facts-on-mental-health
- Statistics Canada (2022). Study: Mental Disorders and Access to Mental Health Care. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230922/dq230922b-eng.htm
