The Alberta Mental Health and Substance Use Survey

General Project Information

The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence and the University of Calgary are conducting a survey among adults (ages 18+) in Alberta to better understand mental health and substance use experiences of Albertans. The study will also collect data about what types of supports and services Albertans are using for their mental health and/or substance use concerns.

Despite economic downturns, a pandemic, and an overdose crisis, there has been limited information collected over the past 20 years on the mental health of Albertans. The information gathered through this survey will help inform future mental health and addiction services across Alberta.

Project FAQs

• Why was my household selected?
  • Households across Alberta were randomly sampled. Your home was selected at random.
• Why was there a $5 gift card in my envelope?
  • The $5 gift card is yours to keep and use, regardless of whether you participate in the survey.
• How do I know this is legitimate and not a scam?
  • This project is a collaboration between the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (a Crown Corporation of the Alberta Government) and the University of Calgary, Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine.
  • You will never be asked to send money or share banking information.
  • A consent form will be provided before participation explaining data protection and voluntary participation.
• Who can participate from my home?
  • One adult (18 years or older) from each household can participate in the study.
  • If there is more than one adult in your household who would like to participate in the study, we invite the person who is 18 years or older and had the last birthday to complete the survey.
• How can I take part in the study?
  • Use the Survey Code provided.
  • Visit the study link or QR code to complete the survey online.
  • If you would like to complete the survey over the phone, please call the toll-free number: 1-888-313-8927.
• What will I be asked to do?
  • Complete an online survey. The survey should take you approximately 30–40 minutes and can be completed at your own pace.
  • If you are eligible, you will be invited to complete an optional set of additional survey questions about your mental health and recovery experiences. The additional survey questions can be completed either at the same time as the main survey or later and will take approximately 15–20 minutes to complete.
  • If you are eligible, you will be invited to complete an optional short interview with research staff through video conference or by phone. The interview will be scheduled at a time convenient for you and will take about 10–20 minutes.
• What are the risks?
  • No risk of physical harm.
  • Some questions may cause emotional discomfort.
  • If distressed, support numbers are available:
    • Distress Centre: 403-266-HELP (403-266-4357)
    • Canada-wide Suicide Crisis Line: 988
    • Mental Health & Addiction Helpline: 1-877-303-2642
    • Crisis Text Line: Text CONNECT to 741741
    • Community Resources: 211
• What are the benefits?
  • Helps improve mental health and addiction services in Alberta.
  • You will receive a $35 Everything Card gift card after completing the survey.
  • If you qualify and participate in the additional study components about your mental health and recovery experiences (an extra set of survey questions and/or a short interview with study staff), you will receive an additional $15.00 EverythingCard (total of $50 in Everything Cards). If you qualify and participate in both, you will receive an additional $30.00 EverythingCard (total of $65 in Everything Cards).
• Is this survey confidential?
  • Your information will never appear in reports.
  • The final survey data will be anonymized and aggregated into a single dataset to protect participant confidentiality.
  • The Survey Code you use to enrol in the study will not be included in the final dataset. It is only used to enrol participants in the study and offer you a way to save and continue your survey at another time if needed.
  • Only designated research staff will access the final dataset.
• What will I be asked in this study?
  • Should you participate in the survey, you will be asked to provide information about your demographics (e.g., age range, sex, gender, education), frequency of substance use, mental health conditions, wellbeing, and quality of life.
  • The study will also collect data about what types of supports and services Albertans are using for their mental health and/or substance use concerns.
  • Adults who consider themselves to be recovered from a substance use disorder will also be asked questions about their recovery journey.
  • Your demographic information will never be linked to you directly in the final dataset or analysis and will serve to aid analysis and group responses only.
• Do I have to participate?
  • Your participation is completely voluntary.
  • You may skip questions if you do not want to answer them.
  • You may stop at any time.
  • If you have any questions concerning your rights as a participant in this research, please contact the Chair, Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board, University of Calgary at 403-220-7990 or email chreb@ucalgary.ca.
• Where will my information be kept?
  • CCI Research Inc. will be administering the study on behalf of (and under supervision of) the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence and the University of Calgary.
  • CCI Research Inc. (CCI Resources) is a Canadian survey research firm with over 25 years of experience specializing in surveys, assessments, and evaluations. You can visit their website here: https://cci-resources.com
  • Once data is collected, it will be stored on a highly secure IT server.
• How will the information I provide during the study be used?
  • Personal and health information collected through The Alberta Mental Health and Substance Use Survey (https://recoveryexcellence.org/survey/) is for administrative, management, research, policy, and planning purposes, including gathering data about the current mental health and wellbeing of adults in Alberta and to better understand their experiences with substance use and addiction. This collection is authorized by section 4 (a)(c) of the Protection of Privacy Act, section 20(a)(b) of the Health Information Act, and section 13(4) of the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence Act. For questions about the collection of personal and health information, please contact us @ email: info@recoveryexcellence.org or call: 1-587-407-0050.
• I completed the survey, how will I receive my gift card?
  • After you submit your survey, you will receive an email containing a redemption code and instructions on how to redeem your EverythingCard.
  • If you have questions regarding your EverythingCard, please visit https://www.everythingcard.ca/help/recipient for assistance.