With the current COVID-19 pandemic happening, the mental health of Canadians has been impacted severely. Between struggling with the fear and uncertainty of our health and the health of our loved ones, concerns about employment and finances, it has been found that 50% of Canadians report “worsening mental health since the pandemic began'' (CAMH, 2020, p. 1). 

Although the government has made a range of mental health resources, supports and care available - we continue to see a rise in mental health issues across the country. As we are surpassing one year living in quarantine and numerous living restrictions, the supports appear to be on a decline. The commitment to supporting the mental health of Canadians must continue.

Since the rise of mental health issues has significantly increased, it has become harder to obtain a therapist, both physically and financially. We need more than crisis support helplines and limited amounts of free sessions. While researching mental health, one news article upon many, stood out to me. The article is called “Nobody has openings: Mental Health Providers Struggle to Meet Demand” in the New York Times (2020). The article speaks of the overwhelming need for therapists and the costs that come along with therapy. Therapists are becoming inundated with people reaching out for help. Unfortunately, most therapists either do not have the right skill sets to help, or they are not accepting new patients.

I’m calling on the government for a long-term, holistic approach to support mental health, during and post COVID-19, by subsidizing therapy sessions. We need long-term one-on-one therapy with a consistent provider to help us cope with new and ongoing mental health issues.

Please sign and share the petition for a more holistic mental health plan.

If you are in need of immediate help, please find some resources below:

https://wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA/

https://bouncebackontario.ca/

https://ontario.cmha.ca/provincial-mental-health-supports/

References

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). (2020). Mental Health in Canada: Covid-19 and Beyond. https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/pdfs---public-policy-submissions/covid-and-mh-policy-paper-pdf.pdf