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 (ICES). This study quantifies the burden of mental illness and addictions in Ontario.

Overall, 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. Five conditions have the highest impact on the life and health of Ontarians: depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol use disorders, social phobia and schizophrenia.

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 and mental illness and addiction prevention interventions and 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.