Mental health affects every Canadian, with roughly one in five experiencing mental illness firsthand, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
The annual Mental Health Week, which runs May 7 to 13, aims to diminish the discomfort and confusion surrounding mental health and mental illness.
"Just because you don't have a diagnosable mental illness doesn't necessarily mean you neglect your mental wellbeing," said Jeff Coulombe, area manager of adult and senior services at the St. Albert Mental Health Clinic. "When mental health isn't taken care of, it can often lead to more illness-based problems."
The clinic, operated by Alberta Health Services, provides crisis intervention, assessment and short- and long-term treatment for things like depression, anxiety, suicide and anger management. It also provides referrals to other community resources.
"Our service is mainly targeted towards serving clients with mental illnesses, so what we do is work with our mental health professionals to treat mental illness," he said.
Stigma associated with mental health is an "enormous" problem, he said, and sometimes prevents struggling individuals from seeking help.
The prevalence of mental illness in St. Albert is unknown, although Coulombe said there are many individuals seeking assistance.
Edmonton's The Support Network is another resource that offers help to individuals struggling with their mental health, through a 24-hour distress line, walk-in counselling, suicide bereavement support and caregiver support.
"We have the capacity to respond when people are at risk of suicide and we also have the capacity to link people with services in the community that can serve them on a longer-term basis," said Jennifer Jones, director of the Crisis Support Centre.
She said a lot of people in the province struggle to get the level of support necessary to manage their mental health.
"Another issue and challenge for people is being able to access resources that can support them at the time that they need it," she said.
Last year, The Support Network assisted more than 70,000 Albertans, with 12,000 using the 24-hour distress line.
"Mental illness and mental health is restricted to people who are 'crazy' and the truth of it is that people struggle with their mental wellness at many different times during their lives," she said.
Mental health strategy
Earlier this week, the Government of Canada released the Mental Health Strategy for Canada, the first-ever national health strategy focused solely on mental health.
"Its release marks a significant milestone in the journey to bring mental health out of the shadows and to recognize, in both words and deeds, the truth of saying that there can be no health without mental health," the strategy states.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada created the strategy, which calls for increased federal health spending from seven to nine per cent over the next decade.
There are 109 recommendations outlined in the strategy advocating for increased awareness, better training, increased resources and increased support for affected individuals.
The MHCC began in 2006 and was endorsed by all provincial and territorial governments except Quebec.
