Mental health issues have become increasingly relevant especially in recent times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many Canadians continue to struggle with their mental health and have trouble accessing different support services. It is extremely important that we are able to direct support services to those of all ages and be sure to emphasize the youth and their mental health. According to researchers studying mental health in youth in Canada over the last decade, results have shown that there is an increasing need for support services targeted for youth. Due to the increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms among youth in recent years, there is a push for the healthcare system to provide support due to the rising need for services (Wiens et al., 2020). Both the federal and provincial governments have been implementing plans in order to provide more support for mental health services that have included investments made to add additional crisis and addiction workers, online support systems, early prevention programs for youth, and many more services (Moroz et al., 2020). Working as a respite worker with a bachelor’s degree in psychology has allowed me to directly support children with mental health issues and provide them with community support, this is sometimes difficult due to The Canada Health Act (CHA) which essentially limits services such as mental health ones that make it unattainable for most due to the costs (Canada Health, 2023). With that in mind, there have been many advancements such as a strong investment by the Canadian government of 12.2 million dollars that went to the Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund (MHP-IF) which supports culturally centered mental health services for refugees and new Canadians, First Nations, Inuit and Métis, 2SLGBTQI+ and youth and families (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2022). The funding is also used for positive promotion of mental health services as well as access to The Wellness Together Canada portal which provides access to counselling with qualified health professionals, educational content, peer-to-peer support, self-guided therapy and more all at no cost (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2022).
Individuals who struggle with their mental health are often faced with other non-medical factors that influence their overall health which is known as social determinants of health. Factors such as little education and employment opportunities, discrimination, lack of access to resources, and housing instability are many of the common issues that individuals struggling with their mental health experience. Lower income or income inequality is when income in not evenly distributed among individuals and they are sometimes having to settle for minimum wage which greatly affects their mental health and overall wellbeing by creating a depressive state that one is not good enough and there is no sense of purpose in life (Compton & Shim, 2015). Research shows that individuals who live in a higher area of income inequality have seen higher rate of substance abuse, overdose, and death (Compton & Shim, 2015). Additionally, those with poorer education achievements experience are associated with worsened social networks, physical health, unhealthy diet, smoking, and more, which all greatly affect individual’s mental health (Compton & Shim, 2015). With that being said, researchers have also noted that those in poorer communities are more likely to be affected by mental health illnesses due to the added stress they face from the living conditions they are in (Alegría et al., 2018). Overcrowding, inadequate heating, and supply of food or poor diet are the main contributions to negative mental wellbeing (Alegría et al., 2018). There is a blog post created on the social determinants of health which entails more information about how minority groups and individuals of colour suffered during the pandemic as a result of the lack of access to healthcare and resources available to them in their location. It provides insight to the mentioned social determinants of health individuals in Canada face while elaborating on the lack of access to healthcare which includes mental health services. Writing this blog post enlightened me on the many determinants of health individuals in Canada face and how we can support them to overcome these barriers.
Similarly, there are many social structural health influences that directly impact one’s mental health. To be specific, race, gender, marital status, and occupational status all can negatively affect the mental health state of many directly targeted for their relation to a group (Alegría et al., 2018). Worsen mental health, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and psychological distress are all consequences to the mentioned social structural health influences. Moreover, reports have analyzed ethic minority groups, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals which have shown worsened mental health conditions with increased risk for self-harm and suicide attempts (Alegría et al., 2018). Individuals with disabilities also often struggle with mental health issues due to them having to settle for part time jobs due to the employment barrier which many individuals of colour also face. There are curated resources on my webpage which highlight the marginalization of these groups due to social structural health influences.
There are multiple ways to intervene in order to alleviate the strain on the healthcare system from global pandemic. It is no surprise that the Covid-19 pandemic greatly affected many individuals worldwide and significantly impacted their overall wellbeing and mental health. Studies have shown that many individuals worry about returning back to work in person during and after the pandemic, thankfully there have been many advancements in tailoring plans to make individuals feel safe and supported in their return to work. To be specific, there are now virtual mental health services available across Canada that are free of charge and more community-based supports that are localized for the convince of those who are unable to use the internet or computer (Moroz et al., 2020). With the increase in funding, there have been more supports available for all mental health services including the additions and counselling supports. There are also Remote Healthcare Monitoring Systems that are used to monitor chronic health issues such as diabetes in patients in order to provide increase diagnosis speed and treatment in a cost friendly way.
Chronic illness and disease are another major contribution to the state of one’s mental health condition. It has been reported that chronic illness such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and kidney disease can greatly contribute to a worsen mental state, but the reverse may also occur (Guerra, 2022). In particular, results have shown that over 50% of individuals with reported mental health issues have also reported a chronic illness due to the lack of sleep, physical activity, or diet they consume (Guerra, 2022). Chronic illness in Canada is a common thing with arthritis, cancer, diabetes and mental illness being some of major ones that affect individuals in their day-to-day lives. It is important to look at how individuals are able to manage their chronic disease and live a relatively healthy and happy life. There are steps you can take to achieve this such as being active, maintaining a healthy diet, being social, and receiving a proper amount of sleep to improve overall wellbeing.
With respect to the future trends in healthcare, this post highlights some of the advancement’s technology has made with respect to electronical services for mental health supports, monitoring chronic illness, and prescription services that have made the lives of many much easier. As technology continues to advance, I am sure there will be more options available online and screenings for illness caught earlier on due to accuracy of these technological services. The resource section on my blog highlights some of these future advancements with greater detail. This course has opened my eyes and allowed me to see how although there are many barriers and factors that influence health in Canada, there are also huge advancements made that have paved the way for better care, supports, and services made accessible to all Canadians. This course has also allowed me to reflect upon my role in the healthcare system and how as a respite worker and caregiver I am able to become more involved and recognize any barriers or issues in my field and how to personally overcome them and how the provincial and federal government is making changes to advocate for better care for all. The resources on my resource page provide links to supports for Indigenous and marginalized communities as well as some future trends for supports in Canada that are of benefit to all. The Remote Health Monitoring System is one of the most important advancements I found included on my website, it allows to ease the stress sometimes associated with health treatments centers and the longer wait times individuals experience. It provides comfort and reassurance knowing that treatment is available at any given time. Learning about future trends in Canadian health allows me to become more aware of the new developments made while noting what is useful for me and my profession.
References:
Alegría, M., NeMoyer, A., Falgàs Bagué, I., Wang, Y., & Alvarez, K. (2018). Social Determinants of Mental Health: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go. Current psychiatry reports, 20(11), 95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0969-9
Canada Health. (2023, March 10). Government of Canada. Canada Health Act. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/canada-health-care-system-medicare/canada-health-act.html
Compton, M. T., & Shim, R. S. (2015). The Social Determinants of Mental Health. FOCUS, 13(4), 419–425. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20150017
Guerra, M. (2022, August 9). Mental Health & Chronic Disease Comorbidities. RTI Health Advance. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://healthcare.rti.org/insights/mental-health-and-chronic-disease-comorbidities
Moroz, N., Moroz, I., & D’Angelo, M. S. (2020). Mental Health Services in Canada: Barriers and cost-effective solutions to increase access. Healthcare Management Forum, 33(6), 282–287. https://doi.org/10.1177/0840470420933911
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2022, May 6). Government of Canada invests $12.2M in mental health promotion. Canada.ca. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2022/05/government-of-canada-invests-122m-in-mental-health-promotion.html
Wiens, K., Bhattarai, A., Pedram, P., Dores, A., Williams, J., Bulloch, A., & Patten, S. (2020). A growing need for youth mental health services in Canada: Examining trends in youth mental health from 2011 to 2018. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29, E115. doi:10.1017/S2045796020000281
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