Canadian Veteran health survey 2022

Abstract: The Canadian Veteran Health Survey (CVHS) is a new survey designed to measure the health and well-being of Veterans after their transition from military to civilian life. It was conducted for the first time in 2022. Those who had identified themselves as a Veteran in the 2021 Census and had not re-enlisted in the military by the time of the survey, formed the sample for this survey. Statistics Canada collected CVHS 2022 survey data between October and December 2022. In all, 3,215 Veterans responded, resulting in a 61.5% final response rate. When asked if they would share their data with Veterans Affairs Canada, 2,714 Veterans agreed, resulting in a share rate of 84.4%. The average age of Veterans is 61.7 years old, with women+1 being younger than men+2 ; 58.4 years old compared to 62.3 years old, respectively. The proportion of Veterans who identify as Indigenous is 4.2%, compared to 2.5% of Canadians. A little over four percent of Veterans (4.1%) identified as belonging to a visible minority, compared to 18.5% of Canadians. When it comes to their health, 39.6% of Veterans rate theirs as very good or excellent, while 27.1% rate their health as fair or poor. A larger proportion of Veterans (49.1%) rate their mental health as very good or excellent. By contrast, slightly over one in five Veterans (21.1%) rate their mental health as fair or poor. Among Canadians, 48.9% rate their health as very good or excellent and 60.4% rate their mental health as very good or excellent. About four in ten (42.3%) Veterans reported that they had worked at a job or business in the past week. The employment rate (for those aged less than or equal to 75 years old) was similar for women+ and men+ Veterans, with 58% of women+ employed and 55.9% of men+ employed. Over 16% (16.6%) of Veterans have a household income that falls below the LowIncome Measure (LIM). Those who reported their main activity in the past 12 months as working were much less likely to be below the LIM (8.6%) than those who were either retired (21.7%), experiencing a long-term illness (26.8%), or caregiving or volunteering (28.1%). Most Veterans are satisfied with their lives. Over three quarters of both men+ (77.7%) and women+ Veterans (79.1%) report being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives. A higher proportion of Canadian men+ and women+ reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives (men+ 86.8%, women+ 86.5%). Women+ Veterans are reporting more stress in their lives than men+ Veterans. Specifically, almost 3 in 10 women+ Veterans (27.6%) indicated that life was quite a bit or extremely stressful compared to 20.6% of men+. CVHS 2022 findings can inform programs, benefits, communications, and outreach, to ultimately improve the health and well-being of Veterans in Canada.

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