The Alberta Mental Health and Substance Use Survey

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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 collect information on the 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.

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. This research will help improve services and supports today and for future generations.

Project FAQs

    • Households across Alberta were randomly sampled. Your home was selected at random.
    • The $5 gift card is yours to keep and use, regardless of whether you participate in the survey.
    • This project is affiliated with the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (a Crown Corporation of the Alberta Government) and the University of Calgary.
    • 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.
    • You may call the University of Calgary Research Ethics Board using the contact information provided in the consent form.
    • Due to recent changes in data collection, only 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.
    • Use the Survey Code provided.
    • Visit the study link or call the toll-free number provided.
    • Complete an online survey (25–35 minutes).
    • Total time commitment is approximately half an hour.
    • This is a one-time commitment.
    • No risk of physical harm.
    • Some questions may cause emotional discomfort.
    • If distressed, support numbers are available:
    • Helps improve mental health and addiction services in Alberta.
    • You will receive a $35 Everything Card gift card after completing the survey.
    • Your information will never appear in reports.
    • The final survey data will be anonymous.
      • 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 to the final data.
    • 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.
    • Participation is completely voluntary.
    • You may skip questions.
    • You may stop at any time.
    • 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.
    • 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.