Mental health when travelling or living outside Canada

Information and resources to help you prepare for and manage mental health challenges you may face while outside Canada. Whether you’re away temporarily or for an extended period, being informed and prepared can help protect your mental well-being.

Crisis support

If you’re outside of Canada and need emergency mental health support:

check Find a helpline for a local number you can call to reach a crisis support line
children abroad can consult Child Helpline International
contact the nearest Canadian office abroad or the 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa. While Canadian officials are not trained mental health professionals, they can help connect you with local resources and support services.

How travel or living outside Canada can affect your mental health

Travel has many benefits for your mental health. You can try new things, make friends, and work on personal growth. However, some parts of travel and life outside Canada may negatively affect your mood and well-being. They could also make pre-existing mental health conditions worse.

Factors that can negatively affect your mental health while travelling or living outside Canada include:

Change of routines: Travel and relocation often disrupts your regular routines such as sleep patterns, mealtimes, and daily activities.
- This can lead to feelings of disorientation and unease.
Stressful situations: When you experience unfamiliar situations while outside Canada, you can feel stressed or anxious.
- Sometimes flight delays, language barriers, or being away from family and friends can cause unexpected stress.
Jet lag and fatigue: Crossing time zones can cause jet lag.
- You may have trouble sleeping, which can make you feel tired and irritable.
- Jet lag can affect your mood, ability to focus, and cause gastrointestinal problems.
- The effects of jet lag worsen with age and when you travel eastward.
Cultural adjustment and culture shock: Experiencing new cultures is exciting but can also be difficult.
- Adjusting to new environments, behaviours, and ways of life may include:
  - learning languages
  - understanding social norms
  - adapting to food and clothing habits
  - managing feelings of homesickness or culture shock
- Culture shock is a feeling of disorientation people can experience when they are around a new or unfamiliar culture.
- It can be brief, or last several months, and can affect even experienced and long-term travellers and residents outside Canada.

The symptoms of culture shock can include:

irritability
sleeplessness
lack of interest
feelings of sadness
compulsive or excessive eating or drinking
negative stereotyping of the local people
recurring minor illnesses

Everyone reacts differently to travel or living in a new environment and unknown situations. If you’re struggling with feelings that are overwhelming or last for a long time, reach out for help.

Before you leave

By preparing and using coping strategies, you can better protect your mental well-being and improve your chances of enjoying your time outside Canada.

Plan ways to manage stress: Find strategies that have helped you relax in the past.
- These can be breathing exercises, meditation, listening to calming music or talking to friends and family.
Choose the most direct route: Try to book the most direct route to your destination. Avoid long layovers and travel times.
Recognize what may cause stress: Identify situations that could affect your mental health and make a plan to manage them.
Learn about what health risks there may be at your destination: Identify potential health risks so you can avoid them or take steps to protect yourself.
- Check the health section of the Travel Advice and Advisories for your destination.

Sign up with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service so that we can reach out to you in case of an emergency at your destination or a personal emergency at home.

Research the laws and cultures for your destination

The acceptance of mental health challenges varies greatly across countries and cultures. In some destinations, social attitudes toward mental health can impact the type of psychiatric or medical care available to you.

When planning your travel or move, consider the following:

Availability of services: Some countries may have limited mental health facilities, which may include inadequate conditions or treatments that differ from what you expect in Canada.
Language barriers: Finding mental health professionals who speak your language may be difficult in certain areas.
Forced admission: In some countries, individuals experiencing a mental health crisis may face involuntary admission to a mental health facility.

Be mindful that even unintentional actions during a mental health episode may be treated as legal offenses. In some countries, certain behaviours such as disturbing the peace, making threats, or exhibiting unusual behaviour, can lead to serious consequences including arrest, criminal charges, or forced admission to a facility.

Remember, when you’re outside of Canada, you must follow the local laws of the country you’re in.

Check the laws and cultures section of the Travel Advice and Advisories for your destination.

Find local support

Look up mental health services and support services available at your destination and learn about the healthcare system.

Some countries may have limited services or different treatments than you would receive in Canada.

If possible, contact them before you leave to discuss your ongoing care during your stay or residence.

Find lists of hospitals, clinics or doctors at your destination by selecting the medical emergencies option.

Consult healthcare professionals before your departure

Talk to a healthcare provider or visit a travel health clinic preferably 6 weeks before your departure. Even if your travel date is coming up soon, it's still worthwhile to make an appointment. They can provide personalized health advice and recommendations, including vaccines or medications that may be right for you based on your itinerary. It is important to inform them if you’re living with mental health challenges, as some travel medications have negative side effects for your mental health.

Consider visiting a mental health professional or other mental health supports before you leave to get personalized advice for your mental health concerns.

If you regularly see a mental health professional, check if they can be available remotely in case you need support while outside Canada.

Find a travel health clinic.

Find free mental health and substance use support.

Prepare your medications

If you take medications, make sure that your prescription is up to date. Be sure to pack enough for your entire trip, allowing for possible delays in returning to Canada. It is important to keep taking any prescription medications while away.

Some prescription medications, dietary supplements, and herbal and homeopathic products that are legal in Canada may:

be illegal in other countries
have restrictions on quantities a person is allowed to carry
require prior approval from local authorities

Remember that even if you’re authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes, it is illegal to transport it and all products containing cannabis, including products containing cannabidiol (CBD), across the Canadian border.

Find out if your medications are legal in the country you’re visiting:

Contact the foreign government office accredited to Canada of the country you plan to visit to confirm the status of your medications in that country
Consult the International Narcotics Control Board’s Country regulations for details on restrictions

Learn more about travelling with medication.

Travel with a support system

If possible, travel with a trusted friend, family member, or a professional travel companion. If you’re living or travelling alone, set up regular check-ins with someone you trust, which could include your mental health practitioner if deemed appropriate.

Get travel insurance

Make sure your travel or international insurance covers mental health conditions. Review the policy and understand what is covered.

Learn more about trip interruption and travel health insurance.

While you’re away

While you’re outside Canada, consider this advice to take care of your mental well-being:

Manage jet lag

If your travel includes a long flight or crosses multiple time zones:

adjust your cycle of sleeping, eating, and activity to your new location as soon as you arrive
limit your number of activities for a couple days after arrival to give yourself time to adjust

Prioritize self-care

Creating a sense of stability can help reduce stress:

follow a routine that includes enough sleep, nutritious food, and physical activity
avoid using caffeine or mind-altering substances like alcohol or cannabis

Monitor your mental health

Recognizing what causes feelings of stress and early warning signs can help you catch problems early.

Watch for signs of mental health challenges, including:

mood changes
trouble sleeping
increased feelings of anxiety or sadness

Accompanying a traveller with mental health challenges

If you’re with someone who is experiencing a mental health challenge or who has a diagnosed mental illness, it’s important to be supportive:

Be patient and listen without judgement: Understand that their needs or reactions may be different from your own.
- Offer support and listen without judgement.
Take care of yourself: Pay attention to your own physical and mental health.
- Learn to recognize signs of stress or fatigue in yourself.
- Consider setting boundaries.
Consider a professional companion: A professional health provider can offer additional assistance. This can be helpful if your companion has specific health needs.
Know where to get help: Find out where the mental health resources and support services are located at your destination before you leave.
Create a plan: Work together with your companion to create a plan in case of an emergency.

If you need help

Reaching out for support while outside Canada can help manage mental health concerns:

reach out to your loved ones back home
visit local support services or, if possible, consult with a mental health professional remotely
look up local hospitals, clinics or doctors at your destination, or check local emergency services listed in the travel advice and advisories for your destination
- your travel insurer may be able to recommend healthcare providers near you
- if you’re having trouble finding mental health professionals who speak your language, contact the nearest Canadian office abroad

You may have a friend or family member with mental health challenges who is outside Canada alone. If you think they need help, you can contact the the nearest Canadian office abroad for assistance or the 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.

In some countries, people experiencing serious mental health challenges may be hospitalized or, in rare cases, arrested. It's important to understand how the local laws and health systems at your destination could be different from Canada.

Emergency consular assistance while outside Canada:

The Government of Canada is limited in the help it can provide you when you’re outside Canada.

We can:

give you contact information for nearby medical or mental health services, where possible
help you find health care professionals in case of a medical emergency
communicate with your relatives and friends
contact your insurance company or health care professional in Canada, with your permission

Examples of what we can’t do:

send you medication from Canada
make decisions about your medical care
interfere in your medical care
provide medical or legal advice
post bail, pay legal fees or medical costs
get you out of prison

Learn more about services available at our consular offices outside Canada.

Returning to Canada

Travel can be exciting and, sometimes, stressful. These feelings can be mentally tiring, so you may need time to adjust when you return. Give yourself time to readjust to your home and regular routine. You can promote positive mental health in your daily life by eating well, getting enough sleep, and adding physical activity to your day. If you're feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty adjusting, reach out for additional support.

If you received emergency care while outside Canada or have concerns about readjusting after your time outside Canada, check in with a healthcare professional.

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