TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) has launched an online interactive mental health tool with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Mental Health Self Check gives Canadian women an easy, accessible way to assess their emotional ­well-being.

The self-check “will really lend itself to important conversations” and give women “the opportunity to check in on how their own mental health is on a regular basis,” said SDM director of community investment Lisa Gibbs. “We are proud to have partnered with CAMH on the launch of a resource to help Canadian women better understand how they’re feeling and functioning in their everyday life,” she added. “Our organization has a long-standing commitment to advancing women’s health through our SHOPPERS LOVE. YOU program. We hope that this tool will encourage women to check in on their mental health and ensure they’re living a healthy and balanced lifestyle.”

Mental illness affects one in five Canadians and is the leading cause of disability around the world. Women face unique stresses and challenges that can have a negative impact on their mental health and can change at different stages in life. Compared to men, women are more likely to hold multiple jobs, be a single parent, experience family violence and live on a low income.

“Research shows gender is a critical determinant of mental health, and women are twice as likely as men to develop depression or anxiety at some point in their lives,” says Dr. Branka Agic, project lead and director of knowledge exchange in the Provincial System Support Program at CAMH. The self-check lets women “quickly understand ways they can strengthen their mental health and make it a top ­priority,” she says.