A group wants mental health to be demedicalized

Mental health issues are still relevant today, although mentalities have evolved over the years. The Regroupement des Ressources Alternatives en Santé Mentale du Québec (RRASMQ) believes that it is time to demedicalize mental health and better promote the practices of self-help groups.

The theme of mental health resurfaces on World Mental Health Day. Anne-Marie Boucher, co-coordinator of the RRASMQ, recognizes that certain aspects have progressed in recent years. In particular, there are far fewer taboos surrounding mental health problems.

However, there is still a long way to go, she says, particularly in terms of prevention and support. Governments must also put in place measures to promote living conditions that guarantee good mental health. Access to housing is not unrelated to the distress that many experience, for example.

“For us, it’s a theme that is always relevant. This is a theme that must also be demedicalized. So not to leave mental health only as a medical issue where we talk about diagnosis and medication. “It’s a more global health issue that we still need to talk about in a nuanced and complex way,” declared Mr.^me Boucher.

She emphasizes that professional mental health support is essential. His point being that it is not the only form of support that exists.

The RRASMQ has an alternative approach that focuses on mutual assistance between people. Groups offer discussion sessions between people who experience the same reality. There is also art therapy and psycho-corporeal approaches, among others. “There are all kinds of resources that offer all kinds of welcome. They have in common that they carry the alternative philosophy,” summarizes M.^me Boucher.

“It’s something extremely protective for mental health, but which unfortunately is not very visible when we talk about mental health support,” she mentions.

With the aim of reducing the need for hospitalization for people with a mental health disorder, the Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant, inaugurated services on Thursday in the territory of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.

These are not alternative resources, but in particular a brief support team in the community and a brief intervention unit. These services aim to create a new culture of care where specialized mental health expertise is offered outside the hospital environment.

Underfunding threatens groups

M^me Boucher notes that one of the problems in our society is that there is little help available to support a person before they are in distress. “Because there is often a whole situation that goes south before a person is in crisis. […] We must ensure that people get help quickly,” she pleads.

M^me Boucher describes public mental health services as the “poor relation” of the health network. She is sad that when people call 811 option 2, there is not necessarily psychosocial support quickly. “When people call for help and realize there is no service on the line, it is extremely distressing and they may not dare to call for help a second time,” she warns.

According to the co-coordinator of the RRASMQ, there is an urgent need for the Quebec government to invest new sums in all community groups since they are approaching a breaking point. The money would be used in particular to offer better working conditions. “At the moment, groups are hiring and sometimes they are embarrassed by the working conditions because they put people in a situation of poverty,” reports M^me Boucher.

She explains that the benefits of using alternative resources are sometimes difficult to calculate since the help is often informal. “It is still important that there is support from the government for these citizen spaces which are essential. We see the positive impact and that it makes a difference in the lives of the people who use them,” she says.

Government funds are given each year to alternative resource groups, but the problem, according to the RRASMQ, is that this funding does not keep up with inflation. Money is indexed annually at 1 or 2% while in certain years the increase in the cost of living has exceeded 5%.

“In the context where austerity is being announced to us, where there is little money going to the community sector, we see our groups exhausting themselves, working very hard with few resources, and we know that this net will not last forever if we do not support it more,” argues M^me Boucher.

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