New findings based on Statistics Canada’s 2024 Parental Experiences Survey, conducted in collaboration with Public Health Agency of Canada, has found that a significant number of mothers/birthing parents in 2024 say they had access to a regular healthcare provider but many had unmet needs remaining. Among them, a notable number say they’ve never been asked about any postpartum mental health issues.
“Understanding unmet healthcare needs provides insight into potential gaps in the healthcare system. When mothers/birthing parents require care but do not receive it, they may experience delayed recovery, unmanaged symptoms or increased emotional strain,” say authors of the report, Access to postpartum health care and perinatal mental health support, 2024 Parental Experiences Survey.
They say that in 2024 (the survey of 11,153 respondents focused on those who’d given birth between December 2023 and April 2024), 13 per cent of mothers/birthing parents reported needing healthcare but not receiving it. Among those without a regular healthcare provider, 22 per cent reported having an unmet need, compared with 12 per cent of those who had a regular provider.
“Access to a regular provider varied by age: 81 per cent of mothers and birthing parents aged 15 to 24 reported having a regular provider, compared with 86 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 and 88 per cent of parents aged 35 and older,” they write. “Among racialized mothers and birthing parents, 83 per cent reported having access to a regular health care provider compared with 89 per cent of non-racialized mothers/birthing parents. Recent immigrants were also less likely to report having access to a regular health care provider (78 per cent).”
Regarding unmet needs, there were no significant differences across age groups, racialized identity or immigration status, although some differences were observed by province: Atlantic Canada had the highest number of respondents saying they had unmet needs; Manitoba and Alberta had the lowest.
Mental health concerns were notable in the report, with 49 per cent reporting experiencing challenges with their emotional or mental health. Younger mothers/birthing parents were more likely to report difficulties. In 2024, as well, 21 per cent of mothers and birthing parents reported that no healthcare provider had asked about their emotional well-being during pregnancy or after childbirth. “Younger mothers and birthing parents were slightly more likely to report not being asked (24 per cent),” they write. “When comparing population groups, 30 per cent of racialized mothers and birthing parents and 33 per cent of recent immigrants indicated that they were not asked about their mental or emotional health.”
link
