The upcoming session is a clean slate for this new Parliament to take immediate, meaningful action on an issue that all parties have clearly made a priority.

With Parliament sitting next week for the first time since the summer election, the government is now seized with the important task of drafting their legislative agenda—and what better time to layout key priorities around mental health care in Canada than in the Speech from the Throne?

It is our belief that this minority Parliament is an opportunity, not a threat, for significant action to address the mental health crisis in Canada. Each party wants to
see a country with better quality, accessible mental health care—as shown by the dedicated mental health action plans the parties presented in their platforms. We are hopeful that MPs will rise above partisanship and work together because our country cannot afford any delays in moving forward with concrete, innovative actions. Prior to the pandemic, statistics showed that one-in-three Canadians would experience mental illness/mental health problems or substance use disorders each year. Our national surveys show for those who have reported a mental illness or mental health problems, 33 percent have indicated their health care needs have not been met when seeking help—and the pandemic has only made things worse. Families of those suffering are also impacted by this: family members are often negatively impacted throughout their life, after witnessing a loved one suffer because of an inadequately treated mental illness.

We know that when Canadians’ mental health care needs are not met, there is a profoundly negative impact on the workforce and the economy as a whole. About 355,000 disability claims are filed each week, there are more than 500,000 workers absent from work due to mental health problems. Mental illness is associated with more lost workdays than any other chronic condition, costing the Canadian economy $53-billion annually.

Long wait times, inadequate person-centric care, and inaccessible services are far too often the norm. It is important to understand, that for many people, accessing the right treatment is essential to recovering from a mental illness—which is not always possible, for those without a robust benefit plan through their employer. More investments in the healthcare system geared towards mental health will not be our only saving grace. Increased, targeted mental health transfers to the provinces and territories are certainly needed, but are often a reactionary response to strains on the system. Instead, we need to look at how we can strengthen our existing community-based approaches and look inward to understand who has access and who doesn’t. What barriers exist? How can we use the tools that we have to remove these barriers? How can we better involve those with a direct lived experience in defining our issues and developing solutions?

In order to change our fate and re-envision how we address mental illness and mental health challenges in Canada, we are calling on the government to:

  • Establish an annual mental health fund that would be available to mental health NGOs. Funding would support developing, replicating, and expanding the availability of programs, services, and supports, across Canada to assist mental health organizations to deliver crucial resources to lessen the burden on an already strained primary healthcare system.
  • Support research and innovation on new advancements in treatments, improve accessibility and ensure that there are no barriers for any Canadian to the treatment that works for them to recover from mental illness.
  • Pass legislation for direct patient involvement in collaborative research to ensure that research related to mental illness are made in consultation with Canadians who have lived experience. No decision should be made without consideration for those most impacted.

The upcoming session is a clean slate for this new Parliament to take immediate, meaningful action on an issue that all parties have clearly made a priority. We urge legislators to take a multi-partisan approach to address this issue without delay. We know the long-term mental health impacts of the pandemic will be significant, and right now, we have control over how we prepare to meet the moment and provide support to those who need it. Millions of Canadians today are depending on the action from the government now, and there is no time to waste.

Dave Gallson
National Executive Director
Mood Disorders Society of Canada

As published in The Hill Times
https://www.hilltimes.com/2021/11/19/now-is-the-time-for-parliament-to-take-action-onimproving-mental-health-care-in-canada/329881