Catching up on the next pandemic: how the government can address the mental health epidemic in Canada

It’s no secret that there is a brewing mental health crisis in Canada, and governments at all levels need to be prepared to meet the increased needs of the millions of Canadians who are seeking mental health supports. Two years of lockdowns, isolation, uncertainty, and stress in the face of COVID-19 means that more Canadians are struggling with their mental health, and it is incumbent upon our governments to make sure that the healthcare system is able to meet this increased demand to help Canadians. At present, our primary health-care system is not supporting Canadians’ mental health needs adequately. We know that many face unacceptable long wait times, inadequate person-centric care and inaccessible services. Many Canadians have to pay out of pocket for their mental health care, either because their employee benefits only cover a small amount, or they are without benefits programs entirely. Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) knows first-hand the gaps that exist in the health-care system for Canadians seeking mental health treatment. As a non-profit organization offering support and resources for Canadians with depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders, we are often the first stop for those looking to find supports and treatment. So many different community mental health organizations work hard to offer services to patients who might otherwise not be able to get treatment elsewhere. However, without greater support from the provincial and federal governments, these community mental health organizations are severely limited in their abilities to provide support. In 2021, MDSC initiated a dialogue with community-based patient mental health organizations across the country to: learn more about the programs and services they offer; advance networking; listen to the challenges that these organizations face on a daily basis in attempting to delivery high-quality, accessible and impactful mental health programs; and discuss opportunities for collaboration and shared efforts in proposing solutions to the barriers that they face. Our roundtable meetings with these community mental health organizations identified a set of key findings that were consistent among all the groups that we spoke with. Across the board, we found: Community M/H organizations are strong innovators in developing new programs and services. Community M/H organizations struggle to secure core, operational, and sustained funding. Community M/H organizations face structural difficulties when recruiting and retaining talent. Coordination and improved engagement between primary care and community organizations strengthen mental health care and improve accessibility. Community organizations want to work together and strengthen available programs and services. While all of these findings are critical, the biggest issue stems from the fact that these organizations are often overlooked when it comes to receiving funding from either the provincial or federal government. For the most part, these organizations rely heavily on fundraising activities or donations to pay for rent, staff and operational costs—with some receiving partial government grants. The inconsistent nature of this funding and non-existing core operational funding means that it’s near impossible for organizations to focus on providing the much-needed services, because they spend too much time coming up with fundraising plans to hold yard sales, car washes and bake sales so they can raise money to pay their bills, rent and staff to do their work. If governments are serious about making sound investments in mental health, and improve community services, then we implore them to put some of OUR money where the need is. Without providing support to these crucial community mental health organizations, the Canadian healthcare system is woefully unable to support the needs of families impacted by mental illness and mental health issues that will be seeking treatment as we move out of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to address the ongoing mental health crisis, the federal government needs to work with the provinces to develop a pan-Canadian funding strategy for community organizations to drive programming and alleviate burdens they face in doing their work. Dave Gallson is the national executive director of the Mood Disorders Society of Canada and has worked in the mental health and disability sector for more than 20 years.

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Catching up on the next pandemic: how the government can address the mental health epidemic in Canada

Two years of lockdowns, isolation, uncertainty, and stress in the face of COVID-19 means that more Canadians are struggling with their mental health.

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