The month of May is mental health awareness across Canada. Everyone can take the time to learn about the various mental illnesses and how they affect the lives of people. It is also important learn how to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.
The Government of Canada defines mental illness as, “the reduced ability for a person to function effectively over a prolonged period of time because of: significant levels of distress,
changes in thinking, mood or behaviour, feelings of isolation, loneliness and sadness, and the feeling of being disconnected from people and activities” and the World Health Organizations states that mental disorder is “characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning.”
According to the World Health Organization, “1 in every 8 people (970 million) in the world live with a mental disorder”. In Canada, “1 in 3 Canadians (about 9.1 million people) will be affected by a mental illness during their lifetime” (Government of Canada). There are different types of mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders. Mental illness does not discriminate … it affects all ages, cultures, and socio-economic status. The aspects contributing to mental illness can include genetics (family history), childhood life experiences (abuse, neglect, trauma), stressful events in life (death of a loved one, financial problems), social, economic or educational status (poverty, social isolation, violence, low education level), and environmental impact on the fetus (alcohol or drugs).
Black, Indigenous and People of Colour experiences more challenges in their mental health and limited access to services as result of discrimination, stigma and cultural beliefs/ attitudes in BIPOC communities, and systemic racism. Mental illness can also affect one’s physical health; for example, increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, weight gain or obesity, and contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle (poor sleep pattern, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating habits). The cost of mental illness to the Canadian society is approximately 50 billion dollars per year (cost of health care, lost productivity at work, reduced quality of life related to health).
Although there are millions of people who suffer from mental illness, stigma continues to present as a obstacle for individuals seeking treatment with “60% of people with a mental health problem or illness won’t seek help for fear of being labelled” (Canadian Mental Health Association). Therefore, it is important for everyone to have open dialogues and conversations to increase knowledge about mental health, identify the challenges individuals face daily, as well as promote greater acceptance, support and understanding of mental illnesses.
References
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Mental illness and addictions: facts and statistics. https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics
- Government of Canada. (2017). About mental illness. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/about-mental-illness.html
- Government of Canada. (2020). Date blog: mental illness in Canada. https://health-infobase.canada.ca/datalab/mental-illness-blog.html
- World Health Organization. (2022). Mental disorders. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders