One in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness at some point in their life. By age 40, five per cent of Canadians will have or have had a mental illness.
This Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 4-10, The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) brings such data to the fore, informing Canadians about the importance of mental health and how it should be treated as a health priority in Canada.
"As Canadians continue to grapple with the effects of the ongoing pandemic, the country is understanding more and more, that mental health needs to be a priority. Mental illness needs to be treated with parity,” said Dr Jenny Rowett, National President of CCPA. “Now, more than ever, as Canadians adjust their lifestyles to deal with COVID-19, we need to continue to advocate to prioritize mental health on the same level as physical health.”
“Tools are being developed to help people cope with the impact of COVID-19, but many people were already experiencing long wait times and barriers to accessing mental health treatment before the pandemic. We need to ensure they can access mental health services when they need them," she said.
"Previously existing mental health problems coupled with the effects of isolation, job security, and trying to keep our families safe, mean we need to act now to ensure people are getting the help they need, when they need it."
“With the commitment from the federal government of increasing access to mental health resources in the Speech from the Throne, we are encouraged that mental illness awareness and access will continue on a positive path as we navigate through this pandemic,” said Rowett.
For more information about Mental Illness Awareness Week, visit www.camimh.ca.
