Mental health in Canada is "three times more precarious" than before the pandemic
(Toronto) A new report shows that mental health in Canada is three times more precarious than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that access to care varies significantly across provinces and territories.
The report also notes that Quebec "has a strong mental health strategy with significant spending."
The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that 2.5 million people in Canada say they can't get the care they need. The report also found that 57 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds with early signs of mental illness report that they cannot afford treatment.
Sarah Kennell, director of public policy at the association, says one of the root causes of the problem is that mental health is not part of the universal health care system in Canada.
While hospital care and psychiatrists are paid for by the government, Canadians have to pay out of pocket, or through insurance, for most community mental health and addictions consultations, Kennell said.
The report calls on the federal, provincial and territorial governments to spend 12 per cent of their total health budgets on mental health, compared to the current national average of 6.3 per cent. This share is 15% in France, 11% in Germany and 9% in the United Kingdom and Sweden, according to the association.
Mental health is currently "isolated" from the country's universal health care system, Kennell said, and the federal government must either amend the Canada Health Act or create "parallel legislation" to make mental health care accessible to all.
"Our [mental health] system is a fee-for-service system in which services like psychotherapy, addiction treatment [and] eating disorder treatment are not part of our universal public health care system," she said in an interview.
Paid care... and expensiveMany people who don't have private insurance simply can't afford this care, Kennell said, adding that the current rise in the cost of living is making the situation even worse.
Low-income groups report higher levels of anxiety than high-income people, Kennell said. "People have to choose between paying rent or going to therapy, putting food on the table or going to drug treatment. These are choices that we believe no one in Canada should have to make. »
The report also points out that Quebec "stands out for its lower cost of living and progressive social policies." According to the association, Quebec "performs better on several indicators of the population's mental health and lower rates of poverty and core housing need."
The report notes exceptions, however, "including higher rates of suicide and self-harm, especially in northern Indigenous communities, where suicide rates are extremely high and housing conditions are often inadequate."
The association also indicates that the "worrying" growth of the private health sector in Quebec "compromises access to care and encourages more and more workers in mental health, addictions and substance use to move towards better-paid positions in the private sector."
"This is also true for family doctors, whose scarcity is more pronounced here than anywhere else in Canada," reads the "State of Mental Health in Canada 2024" report.
This report is the first edition published by the Canadian Mental Health Association. It will serve as a benchmark to measure progress in future reports published every two years, Kennell said.
The association used data from Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey, as well as qualitative measures, including interviews with people who have experienced mental health problems in Canada.
The report also notes that Quebec "has a strong mental health strategy with significant spending."
The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that 2.5 million people in Canada say they can't get the care they need. The report also found that 57 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds with early signs of mental illness report that they cannot afford treatment.
Sarah Kennell, director of public policy at the association, says one of the root causes of the problem is that mental health is not part of the universal health care system in Canada.
While hospital care and psychiatrists are paid for by the government, Canadians have to pay out of pocket, or through insurance, for most community mental health and addictions consultations, Kennell said.
The report calls on the federal, provincial and territorial governments to spend 12 per cent of their total health budgets on mental health, compared to the current national average of 6.3 per cent. This share is 15% in France, 11% in Germany and 9% in the United Kingdom and Sweden, according to the association.
Mental health is currently "isolated" from the country's universal health care system, Kennell said, and the federal government must either amend the Canada Health Act or create "parallel legislation" to make mental health care accessible to all.
"Our [mental health] system is a fee-for-service system in which services like psychotherapy, addiction treatment [and] eating disorder treatment are not part of our universal public health care system," she said in an interview.
Paid care... and expensiveMany people who don't have private insurance simply can't afford this care, Kennell said, adding that the current rise in the cost of living is making the situation even worse.
Low-income groups report higher levels of anxiety than high-income people, Kennell said. "People have to choose between paying rent or going to therapy, putting food on the table or going to drug treatment. These are choices that we believe no one in Canada should have to make. »
The report also points out that Quebec "stands out for its lower cost of living and progressive social policies." According to the association, Quebec "performs better on several indicators of the population's mental health and lower rates of poverty and core housing need."
The report notes exceptions, however, "including higher rates of suicide and self-harm, especially in northern Indigenous communities, where suicide rates are extremely high and housing conditions are often inadequate."
The association also indicates that the "worrying" growth of the private health sector in Quebec "compromises access to care and encourages more and more workers in mental health, addictions and substance use to move towards better-paid positions in the private sector."
"This is also true for family doctors, whose scarcity is more pronounced here than anywhere else in Canada," reads the "State of Mental Health in Canada 2024" report.
This report is the first edition published by the Canadian Mental Health Association. It will serve as a benchmark to measure progress in future reports published every two years, Kennell said.
The association used data from Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey, as well as qualitative measures, including interviews with people who have experienced mental health problems in Canada.
