Substance Use and Mental Health among Canadian Social Workers.

This article presents findings from an online survey examining substance use and mental health—specifically depression and anxiety—among Canadian social workers. Using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), the study found higher prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in social workers compared to the general Canadian population. Substance use, including licit, illicit, and pharmaceutical substances, was commonly reported to have predominantly beneficial or performance-enhancing effects, such as improved concentration, mood, and socialization, with few significant correlations between substance use and mental health scores. The findings suggest that substances may be used partly to cope with work-related stress and meet daily performance expectations, highlighting the need for institutional support and workplace care to address underlying causes rather than focusing solely on substance use.