CAMH Takes You Inside ‘The Maze’ to Confront Canada's Mental Health Crisis

When looking for mental health support, asking for help shouldn't feel like navigating a maze. But for too many people, that’s exactly what it is: long waitlists, endless voicemails, confusing referrals, or being told you don't meet the eligibility criteria. Instead of finding care, you hit dead ends.

This difficult truth became the foundation for ‘The Maze,’ a new campaign from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), building on the success of its record $600 million, No One Left Behind platform.

With creative and media led by Mekanism Canada, the hero film shows a young person trapped in a maze, a visceral metaphor for the disorienting experience of seeking mental health care in Canada. The message is clear: when you're looking for mental health support, asking for help shouldn't feel like navigating a maze. The work calls on donors to help CAMH forge clearer, more accessible pathways to care.

In today’s climate of donor fatigue and news avoidance, nonprofits face the same challenge as brands: how do you break through the noise when audiences are tuning out? Increasingly, leading organisations are adopting cutting edge creative strategies with integrated media buys, creator partnerships, and urgency-driven messaging that is honest and bold to stand apart and convey why support is needed now, not later.

The campaign will run across TV, digital video/CTV, social, OOH, display, and digital audio platforms, including podcast host reads to bring in authentic voices that will drive audiences are to CAMH’s Mental Health Toolkit, a practical guide designed to reduce barriers and help people take the next step toward care.

The campaign has launched just ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day, with targeted bursts around key mental health moments and donation periods.