The next generation is counting on us.

By the time people in Canada reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have, or will have had, a mental illness.

It is crucial that we prioritize transparent and independent scientific research to fully understand the consequences for the brain.

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Viviane Poupon, PDG de la Fondation Brain Canada

The initial promise of social media was to connect us to friends and family, to let us build and join communities, and to bring us together. This experience was replaced by individual echo chambers meant to keep us engaged but dangerously isolated.

Emma Duerden, Azrieli Future Leader in Canadian Brain Research

During the COVID-19 pandemic, young people were drastically affected by the sudden shift to a digital world and the explosion of a reliance on screens.

“What was supposed to

connect young people

stuck at home left many

feeling more alone.”

– Dr. Viviane Poupon

Brain Canada President and CEO

Playing with Marbles: Six episodes, six people, six mental health conditions

Young people are especially vulnerable to mental illness. Whether due to societal pressures, post-pandemic stress, or the current political climate, young Canadians often find themselves grappling with mental health issues at disproportionately high rates. This season of Playing with Marbles, a Brain Canada – Vocal Fry production, produced with support from RBC Future Launch, is all about young people and their mental health.

WATCH: Using functional brain scans to study child psychiatric disorders

Dr. Tamara Vanderwal uses movies to study complex patterns of brain function in child psychiatric disorders. This helps children who have a hard time staying still inside the MRI machine, so she can study the brain as it processes complex streams of information the same way that it does in real life.

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Up to 70 percent of mental health challenges begin during childhood or teenage years.

Only 42 percent of youth in Canada aged 15 to 24 years old reported having excellent or very good mental health in the spring of 2020, compared to 62 percent in 2018—the largest drop of any age group.

Brain Canada’s Mental Health Research Initiative

How we are supporting mental health research

Brain Canada’s rigorous scientific review process gives donors and partners a trusted mechanism to ensure projects are chosen based on merit, innovation, and potential for impact.

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$26,669,398 invested

52 grants awarded

The next generation is counting on us to step up today and support the bold and audacious brain research that will enable them to live the healthy lives they deserve.

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Attend an event on mental health