Research shows no province or territory is spending the money
necessary for mental health, in part because nothing obliges them to do so.
TORONTO, the 19 nov. 2024 /CNW/ – In a first-of-its-kind report, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) offers an in-depth analysis of the mental health system in Canada – with its gaps and failures – and the state of the population in every province and territory. What he reveals is disturbing.
One of the conclusions of the report The State of Mental Health in Canada 2024 is that none of the provincial and territorial governments dedicate enough funds to mental health, in part because it is not mandatory. On average, they devote only 6.3% of their overall health budget to mental health, which places Canada lagging behind several similar countries (15% in France11% in Germany, and 9% in the United Kingdom and Sweden). This percentage does not even reach the spending target set by the federal government in its own outdated mental health strategy.
This in-depth report presents a total of 24 indicators relating to the state of mental health in Canada, including the amount of spending on care, suicide rates and levels of discrimination against people struggling with mental health. mental health concerns, broken down by province and territory. The most recent statistics in the report show that the mental health of Canadians is three times more precarious than before the pandemic, and that millions of people are unable to get the care they need.
Additionally, “where someone resides matters,” says Leyna Lowe, PhD, ACSM’s senior national research and policy analyst and lead author of the report. She specifies: “The report tells us that people receive radically different care depending on their province or territory of residence, that their situation is particularly precarious in certain places in Canada, including northern and rural regions, and that distress is particularly significant. among indigenous and racialized populations. »
As things currently stand, access to mental health care in Canada is often a privilege, when it should be a fundamental right. The ACSM report shows that millions of people who need help are not getting it; an alarming reality with very concrete consequences.
“I was hospitalized because I had suicidal thoughts. The hospital’s only goal was to stop me from acting out, not to ensure that I got help or support afterwards to get to the root of the problem,” says Caroline. , a member of the CMHA National Council of People with Lived Experience. “There was no follow-up once I left the hospital. They just wished me good luck and gave me a business card with a few phone numbers on it. », she adds.
However, The State of Mental Health in Canada 2024 also highlights promising innovations, such as publicly funded universal mental health care in Nova Scotia, significant investments in mental health promotion in British Columbia, addiction treatment in Albertamobile crisis response teams in three provinces as well as Inuit auxiliary staff providing culturally appropriate care to Nunavut. Through a series of concrete recommendations, this report gives policymakers a roadmap to improve mental health care.
“Mental health has been profoundly neglected by the universal health care system since Medicare was introduced forty years ago,” says Sarah Kennell, national director of public policy at the ACSM. “Six consecutive federal governments have failed to make mental health care free and universal, and it is Canadians who are paying the price – sometimes paying with their lives,” she adds.
CMHA is calling on the federal government to include mental health care in federal law. The federal government must also prioritize the mental health and well-being of Canadians by investing 12% of health spending in mental health, addiction and substance use services. In doing so, we promote a future where mental health care is treated as a fundamental right for all.
To learn more about the report and the state of mental health in your community, please visit www.acsm.ca/edsm.
Key statistics from the report The State of Mental Health in Canada 2024:
- On average, provinces and territories devote only 6.3% of their overall health budget to mental health. This part of the budget should be around 12%.
- In Canada, 2.5 million people with mental health needs reported not receiving adequate care. This is approximately the equivalent of the populations of Manitoba and the Saskatchewan united.
- Three times more people report having “poor” or “fair” mental health in the country compared to before the pandemic (26% in 2021 compared to 8.9% in 2019).
- Alarmingly, 38% of Indigenous people reported having “poor” or “fair” mental health.
- Fifty-seven percent (57%) of youth (ages 18 to 24) who had early signs of a mental disorder reported that cost was a barrier to obtaining mental health services.
- Only 50% of people with a mental health-related disability are employed, and a large proportion of those who are not employed rely on income supports that keep them in poverty.
- Canada fails to collect essential information on the mental health system and the mental health of the population, while the quality and coverage of existing data varies across the country.
About the Canadian Mental Health Association
Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the largest and most established community mental health sector federation in Canada. Present in more than 330 communities in every province and across YukonCMHA advocates for rights and offers programs and resources that help prevent mental health problems and disorders as well as support recovery and resilience to enable all Canadians to thrive fully. For more information, please visit the website acsm.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Mental Health Association
Media Relations: Emma Higgins, National Communications Manager, Canadian Mental Health Association, 2899437710 | [email protected]
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