Mental health & Wellbeing Vital Signs
Empowering community action through research, data and better information.
Mental health in the Bow Valley
Our second Vital Signs report offers a comprehensive overview of mental health and wellbeing in the Bow Valley.
Published Feb 12, 2025.
Vital Considerations: Mental Health & Wellbeing
The Banff Canmore Foundation explored the paradox of paradise in the Bow Valley, a region celebrated for its breathtaking natural beauty and reputation as a place of healing and resilience. Yet, this narrative often conceals the struggles of residents facing mental health challenges. Our goal is to delve deeper — to analyze the patterns of our shared experiences and discover creative ways to support one another effectively. Here's what we uncovered.
Health is a complex (eco)system.
Healthy societies offer multiple opportunities for connection, active social communities, and robust care systems. These elements reflect an upstream/downstream model of prevention, intervention, and treatment. When viewed as a cycle, they illustrate a network of complementary aspects of a whole-community, person and ecosystem of wellbeing.
Connecting to primary care is critical.
Connecting to primary care even when healthy is vital. A strong relationship with their family doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or health worker, or enhances overall health understanding, ensuring consistent preventive care and better support during acute needs. In our region, over one in three individuals accessing community mental health services are aged 25 to 64.
Community Causes that Impact Mental Health
It remains unclear whether the rise in mental illness and struggles reflects an actual increase in the problem or results from stigma-reduction efforts that promote greater openness and awareness; likely, it is a combination of both factors, regardless of why our rural location and reliance on a seasonal workforce in a service economy introduce unique stressors that impact health.
“Through our stories and lived experiences, we hope to spark discussions, draw insights, raise awareness and inspire action. We also hope to celebrate the achievements and contributions of our community members who are making a difference in the lives of families and individuals across the province.”
– JUN CACAYURAN PRESIDENT, ALBERTA FIL-CAN COMMUNITY LEADERS’ ASSOCIATION
Vital Actions: Mental health and wellbeing
Vital Signs isn't just a report—it's a call to action. The report describes the unique features of this crisis within our region, where for every hundred people in the valley, 16 are experiencing mental illness, 6 have substance use disorders, and another 5 are experiencing both. The findings illuminate the impact of differences in language and cultural norms, the challenges facing Bow Valley youth, and how income disparity plays a role where lower-income groups are three to four times more likely to report poor to fair mental health compared to their wealthier counterparts.
The good news is that these community-level influences also create the very conditions needed for adaptive responses and solutions tailored to the Bow Valley’s unique needs.”
- Erin Woods
Invest in Community Vitality
Donate to the BCF Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which supports our granting program for mental health and wellbeing initiatives and programs that enable organizations and projects to pursue their goals in service to the community.
The new 3-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants Program supports a web of local, grassroots initiatives making a positive difference in this space. BFC is excited to announce the launch of the grant program which will begin accepting expressions of interest in winter 2025.
Learn how Banff Mental Health and Addiction Week has brought the community together. With over 45 partners, the group services 25 diverse programs with over 900 participants designed to promote well-being, reduce stigma, and provide a safe space for dialogue.
Community Priorities
From housing affordability to environmental sustainability, Bow Valley Vital Signs is part of our commitment to meeting the most pressing challenges facing our community. See BCF Community Priorities Here.
