Canadians are living through a mental health crisis

Canadians are living through a mental health crisis that demands immediate action. Nine in 10 Canadians consider timely access to mental health services to be important, and more than 80 per cent agree that provincial governments should hire more mental health providers to improve access to care, according to a poll from Pollara Insights released in January. Last year’s alarming rise in mental health issues underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to improve mental health care in Canada. Carrie Foster is the president of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Photograph courtesy of CCPA Counselling and psychotherapy are the skilled and principled use of a therapeutic relationship to facilitate self-knowledge, emotional acceptance and growth, and the optimal development of personal resources. The overall aim is to provide an opportunity for people to work towards living with greater satisfaction and more resourcefully. In 2022, one million Canadians accessed this form of care, which has been shown to lead to significant improvement in managing health issues such as anxiety, trauma, and depression. Due to growing economic challenges in Canada, many Canadians are forced to make difficult choices between essentials like food and housing, leading them to overlook their mental well-being and the services that could enhance it. A change in legislation could improve access to mental health services and reduce the burden of these choices on Canadians. The work of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) is not just about speaking up for the mental wellness of all those in this country, but also about fostering a long-term, sustainable mental health-care system that is inclusive and equitable. By pushing for policies that include mental health services in public health-care plans, and advocating for insurance coverage of these services, the CCPA aims to reduce some of the financial burden that our communities are facing in these hard economic times. For more than a decade, the CCPA has been advocating for improved access to mental health services by qualified professional providers including counselling therapists, psychotherapists, and Canadian Certified Counsellors. Ottawa’s decision to remove sales tax on counselling therapy and psychotherapy services—announced in its 2023 Fall Economic Statement—moves Canada towards creating equal access to services crucial for those seeking mental health support. Without affordable access, individuals may delay or forgo necessary care, leading to worsening mental health conditions and greater societal costs in the long run. On June 20, Bill C-59—the Fall Economic Statement implementation act—received royal assent. All parties in the House of Commons had supported the clause eliminating sales tax on psychotherapy services. This historic achievement marks a significant milestone for the CCPA, and we commend Parliament for its work towards making psychotherapy more accessible to the people of Canada. We appreciate Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland including this measure in her Fall Economic Statement. We also commend Conservative MP and health critic Stephen Ellis, and NDP MP Lindsay Mathyssen for each introducing their own private member’s bills during this Parliament proposing such a change. Accessible mental health care is critically important, and the advocacy work does not stop here. The CCPA has been working towards reinstating Canadian Certified Counsellors on the approved list of mental health service providers that First Nations and Inuit Peoples can access through the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits program—from which they were removed in 2015. This removal has significantly reduced access to appropriate mental health counselling services for Indigenous Peoples across the country. First Nations people living off-reserve are roughly twice as likely to report a mental health-related disability compared to non-Indigenous Canadians, underscoring the critical demand for services accessible through comparable federal insurance plans to those available to non-Indigenous Canadians. Continued efforts and advocacy are essential in ensuring that everyone in Canada has access to the mental health services they need. The journey towards equitable mental health care for all is far from over. It requires unwavering dedication, continuous advocacy, and collaborative efforts from all sectors of society. Let’s work together to build bridges in this siloed system to create lasting change benefiting generations to come. Carrie Foster is the president of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, a national bilingual association providing professional counsellors and psychotherapists with access to exclusive educational programs, certification, professional development and direct contact with professional peers and specialty groups. CCPA promotes the profession and its contribution to the mental health and well-being of all Canadians. The Hill Times