Mental health officials pushing for Mental Health Parity Act

Anxiety and depression have become an even greater problem than drug addiction. That’s the concern voiced by more than half of all Canadians taking part in a health survey, reports the Canadian Mental Health Association.

And among the 18 to 34 age group, it found, 59 per cent consider anxiety and depression to have reached “epidemic” levels, compared with 56 per cent for addiction and 50 per cent for cancer.

Those results have prompted the national organization to call for new legislation — and greater funding — for mental health initiatives.

“We continually hear from members of our community, both those who are connected to our programs and others, that it can be frustrating finding the right supports for mental health,” reports Deborah Chenery, the association’s executive director for southern Alberta.

But that’s true almost everywhere, national officials say. That’s because mental health care is not funded at the same level as physical health.

So the CMHA is urging Parliament to pass a proposed Mental Health Parity Act.

Dr. Patrick Smith, the association’s national president, says it’s not just about improving financial support.

It also aims at “improving coordination, treatment, research and access, and making better choices about how best to spend health-care dollars effectively.”

The new survey, commissioned by CMHA, shows 85 per cent of Canadians believe mental health services are among the most under-funded parts of the nation’s health-care system. Still more, 86 per cent believe the federal government should financially support mental health at the same level as equally vital physical services.

While the federal Liberals have made some promising funding commitments, the organization says there are still more than 1.8 million Canadians who have mental health needs that are not being met.

Mental health issues services account for about 23 per cent of the health budgets in other progressive nations, but the CMHA says in Canada only 7.2 per cent of the nation’s health funds go to mental health care.

“By improving access and the availability of mental health services, as well as working alongside other local initiatives and programs, we can work to ensure that we are preventing mental health issues,” says David Gabert, communications lead with the association in Lethbridge.

Now, local agencies are “only being able to deal with the crisis that can often follow.”

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