The Canadian Mental Health Association’s National office is calling for all federal parties to make mental health a top priority in this election campaign, and to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make meaningful and lasting reforms to mental health care.
The pandemic has taken a devastating toll on the mental health of Canadians and exposed glaring gaps in our mental health care system. It has shown the need for all governments to provide significant and increased resources to address mental health in Canadian communities. Now is the time for the federal government to provide heightened leadership and sustained investments to close these critical gaps in our mental health care system, says CMHA.
In any year, the mental health needs of 1.6 million Canadians don’t get taken care of. And the pandemic has only made it worse, with increases in suicidal ideation, opioid and substance use, and feelings of anxiety.
“Our so-called mental health care system isn’t really a system at all—it’s a patchwork of private, hospital and community care that is inadequate for our growing mental health care needs,” says CMHA National CEO Margaret Eaton. “Other G7 countries provide free mental health care as part of their public coverage, and we can too.”
To learn more about CMHA’s campaign for Free Mental Health Care Now, please visit www.MentalHealthCareNow.ca.