Service User Experiences and Perceptions of Virtual Mental Health and Substance Use Care in Canada: A Survey of the Wellness Together Canada Portal.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the perceived user impacts of Wellness Together Canada (WTC), a nationwide, open-access digital portal that delivered free-to-user, 24/7 mental health and substance use health (MHSUH) resources grounded in the Stepped Care 2.0 model.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A mixed-methods observational design was used. Registered users were invited to complete the final wave of the program evaluation survey between March 26, 2024 and April 2, 2024, just before portal closure. The cross-sectional self-report survey collected demographic information, user experiences, and perceived impacts. In total, 1366 responses were collected.

RESULTS

Among the 1366 respondents (mean age, 48.2 years; 970 [71.0%] women; 1117 [81.8%] White), 821 (60.1%) reported accessing the portal via the website, 255 (18.7%) via the mobile application, and 184 (13.5%) via both. Over the 12-month period from April 2023 to March 2024, 838 (61.3%) reported using resources at least monthly. The most used resources were self-assessments and mood tracking tools (1202; 88.0%), followed by self-guided resources (648; 47.4%), counseling (295; 21.6%), crisis services (144; 10.5%), and peer-led resources (134; 9.8%). Overall satisfaction was high (1065; 78.0%), predominantly because of resource helpfulness and accessibility; 204 (14.9%) were neutral, and 91 (6.7%) were dissatisfied. Without WTC, 385 (28.2%) indicated they would have taken no action, often due to financial constraints, limited availability of support, or long waitlists. Additionally, 707 (51.8%) expressed moderate or extreme concern about the portal's closure, with about one-third of comments (351; 29.3%) indicating no plans to address their MHSUH needs afterward.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight positive public reception of this nationwide digital MHSUH services. As the only publicly funded, 24/7 continuum-of-care option during the COVID-19 pandemic, WTC addressed both emerging and longstanding gaps in public insurance coverage for MHSUH services.