82 percent of Canadians demand mental health reform before expanding assisted suicide Fix mental healthcare first. That’s a key takeaway from new poll results, which found that 82 percent of Canadians agree improving access to mental health care should happen before expanding “medical assistance in dying” (MAiD) to those with mental illness as their sole [...]
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mental illness
Tent Cities Aren’t The Problem, Just a Symptom
on July 9th, 2018
We need to address contributing factors to homelessness, including mental illness, addictions and poverty Tonight, an increasing number of Canadians face the prospect of sleeping in a tent – not to welcome the summer camping season but as a last resort. Unlike regulated campgrounds, tent cities are without electricity, water and often bathrooms. These makeshift [...]
No One Should Die Anonymous and Alone
on March 7th, 2016
In early 2011, a man named Jean Francois died. Alone. Initially, he was undiscovered, as he was a recluse and therefore unknown to the people who would have passed him by, from time to time. He was invisible. He lived in the downtown east-side, that most infamous and misunderstood of all Canadian neighbourhoods. Jean Francois [...]
Integrate Physical and Mental Health Services for Better Care
on November 12th, 2015
Individuals with both psychiatric and medical illnesses can’t get the care they need it because of the way health services are delivered Our health system often puts mental and physical health into distinct silos of care, yet no such mind-body separation exists in actual patients. Many individuals with chronic physical conditions simultaneously experience mental health [...]
To Reduce Child Poverty Canadian Children Need a Champion
on October 14th, 2015
The time has come for Canada to adopt a child poverty reduction strategy A young girl is referred to a paediatrician’s office for her inability to pay attention in the classroom. The child’s teacher is concerned she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and possibly, a learning disability. I was a second year medical student [...]
The stigma of Mental Illness
on February 20th, 2015
One of the last examples of widespread institutionalized discrimination Getting treatment for a mental illness is often a lot more difficult than simply calling up your doctor and making an appointment. For many people it involves a painful process of accepting that they have a problem and being willing to expose themselves. Many people who [...]
How Communities can Work Together to Prevent Suicide
on September 9th, 2014
The period of highest risk is during the first six months after the onset of a physical or mental illness The death of comedian Robin Williams last month sparked a worldwide discussion about suicide, its underlying causes and how it might be prevented. And, with World Suicide Prevention Day taking place Sept. 10, the subject [...]
Serious Blues
on October 18th, 2010
Approximately 8% of adults, nearly three million Canadians, will experience major depression at some time in their lives. Most often it affects people in their working years, between the ages of 24 and 44. Worldwide, major depression is the leading cause of years lived with disability.
Canada Won’t fix MAiD until it Restores the Value of Human Life
Blocking MAiD for mental illness is the right decision, but it won’t last unless Canada rebuilds a culture that values every human life A special parliamentary committee has recommended that the federal government “indefinitely exclude” people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness from applying for medical assistance in dying (MAiD). While that recommendation deserves support, legislative changes alone cannot rebuild [...]