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Mental illness and mental health have been
neglected in Canada for far too long. It is time that mental
illness and mental health are positioned prominently within both health
and social policies.
- CAMIMH’s approach represents a major shift by non-governmental
organizations and an opportunity for governments. It:
- Reflects a consensus perspective of consumer, family, and service
provider organizations about what needs to be done and how. As
such it is focused on a common goal based on the common areas
of agreement among the many stakeholders rather than who has
the best answer to the complex challenges in meeting the needs
of persons living with mental illness and to improve population
mental health
- Is based on the agreement that the continuum of mental illness
and mental health must be addressed in reform strategies. This
includes both the continuum of services and support systems for
persons with a mental illness AND the determinants of health
and the need to protect, promote and restore mental health.
- Stigma and discrimination are major aspects of every issue
surrounding mental illness; it must be addressed and eliminated.
- Collaborative National Leadership is required because:
- There is a huge gap between the services and supports
Canadians living with mental illnesses currently receive and
that which they need; this gap will grow and bring
on significant additional social costs if nothing is done.
- The basis for these dire predictions are sound; despite the lack
of a surveillance system in Canada there is excellent international
evidence that the disease burden from mental illness is the most
significant public health issue facing developed countries.
- It will not take long to measure the more precise degree of inequity
in access to services and supports dependent on where a person lives,
their cultural origins, age, etc. in Canada. Consumers, families,
community groups, and professionals have long been reporting these
inequities.
- There is universal agreement that these needs are real; that these
needs are critical, and that meeting these needs is urgent.
- Better emphasis on prevention and mental health promotion
can improve population health outcomes.
- Mental illness and mental health are of such importance to
population health outcomes that Canada needs a distinct national
action plan to adequately and appropriately address the complex
spectrum of the issues across the full continuum of care, support
and promotion.
Other countries such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the
US have begun to address mental illness and mental health on a
national level; it is time for Canada to catch up.
One the single most significant barriers to securing a national
action plan seems to be the division of powers between provinces
and the federal government for health and social services. This
should not be an excuse to ignore the need for a coherent approach
that meets the needs of Canadians equitably. There are already
vehicles in place within which all provinces, territories, the
federal government, with the support of NGO stakeholders, can work
together to develop a consensus-based National Action Plan
for Mental Illness and Mental Health for Canada. Governments
have been able to agree on other national strategies for important
public health and social issues, such as a Children’s Agenda
through the Social Union Framework, and the federal government
itself has done much more for a number of other equally significant
population health issues.
CAMIMH as a coalition of NGO groups offers governments a united
coalition of front line stakeholders with whom it can work to ensure
that the plan reflects the real issues and needs across the spectrum
and appropriately addresses the continuum of mental illness and
mental health.
- The call for Action is a proposal on the basics of a national
strategy. It is seen as the basis for a consultation process. It
offers an expanded vision of mental health reform that include:
- Better access to essential services,
- Addressing determinants of health,
- Addressing critical role of social support and self help, inclusion-
citizenship
- Combating stigma
- Building an effective research and information infrastructure
- There are at least four areas of action that could begin
the process of developing a consensus based national action on mental
illness and mental health.
- Promoting public education and awareness
- Developing a national policy framework for improved care, services,
supports and health promotion strategies, including support of
innovations, development of national guidelines, benchmarks or
other indicators, human resources, and an accountability framework
- Building capacity for a national research agenda
- Establishing and maintaining a national data/information system
