Canada is a G7 Nation without a Universal Mental Healthcare Strategy.
Let's talk about how we still don't have universal mental healthcare in Canada.
As Canadians, we are left angry, upset, and alarmed that our so-called "universal" healthcare system is failing.
Broke your arm and need a cast? That can be arranged.
Can't get out of bed for several weeks? Sorry, you're either going to need to wait for months to see a psychiatrist or pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket for a therapist to maintain your mental well-being and participate in society.
1/3 people in Canada will experience a mental illness or substance use disorder during their lifetime.
In 2020, almost 1 in every 4 hospitalizations for people aged 5-24 were for mental health conditions.
Mental illness is a leading cause of disability in Canada.
What's "covered" According to the Canada Health Act: mental health services provided by a doctor and/or in a hospital. AKA, if you are in an emergency.
What this means: When a person gets to the point of a crisis requiring emergency mental health support, they are likely at a point where they are hurting themselves and others, or where they may have lost jobs, have had financial issues, developed substance abuse issues, etc. As a country, we aren't investing in preventative care that helps a person avoid hitting rock bottom.
We deserve mental health care even when we aren't in an emergency. Period.
There are so many people who are left self-coping and managing the best they can. They are still at work, they are still parents, and they are still going to school, but they're heavily burdened by an illness that isn't their fault. And often, the ones left behind are gig workers, entrepreneurs, recent immigrants and other systemically oppressed folk.
Instead of giving them the support they need to improve their quality of life (for them and anyone they provide care for), we leave them to their own devices.
And those are just some of the barriers to Canada's "universal" mental healthcare system, not to mention:
Lack of primary care doctors for millions of Canadians
Lack of urgent care and long wait times can range from several months to a year
Lack of affordable treatment or service when they are not covered
Lack of accessible or no services in remote or rural communities
Lack of Pharmacare coverage in Canada (may have to pay out of pocket for prescription).
The intentional and insidious destabilization of public healthcare by political parties to create a for-profit and two-tiered system
Mental health issues aren't going away; compounding social forces only increases them. We need to be investing in a system that can support Canadians.
What impact does white supremacy, colonialism, ablism, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, etc., have on marginalized communities? For example, what is the sustained cost of being hypervigilant as a woman alone at night? Or the cost of codeswitching?
Do we understand what has the pandemic done to Gen Z and Gen Alpha? Not to mention the imminent climate disaster Millennials and onwards were all warned about in school, that our leaders have done the bare minimum to address?
How can we help?
Push for true universal healthcare that includes coverage of services like counselling, psychotherapy, and mental health awareness— proven methods we know that work.
Hold our leaders accountable and advocate for increased healthcare spending for mental health services which could improve the quality of life for thousands.
Tackle other systemic issues because everything is interconnected. Access to safe and affordable housing and increased mental health awareness can make it easier for folks to get well and stay well.
