National

People living with disabilities have a right to participate fully and equally in Canadian society.

In Canada today, many people live with recurrent or episodic disabilities that are characterized by alternating periods of illness and wellness. As stated in the Government of Canada response to the 2003 report Listening to Canadians: A First View of the Canada Pension Plan Disability Program: “recurrent and episodic disabilities are becoming more prevalent in Canadian society.”

There are many systemic and practical barriers which prevent people with episodic disabilities from participating in the labour force, in communities, and in society in a meaningful way.

Recognizing the potential for publicly-funded home care to have a key role in meeting the needs of people with a serious mental illness, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) undertook a study to explore issues related to home care for adults with serious mental illness and to make recommendations for practice and policy.

A Framework for Support is CMHA’s central policy regarding people with mental illness. This third edition retained the integrity of the model and is now positioned within the current context of population health, health promotion, and recovery. A Framework for Support, Third Edition, offers the best of something old and something new; and while the Framework has grown and changed over time, its original core principles continue to be as vibrant and relevant as ever.

A Framework for Strategic Planning offers background information and relevant examples to provide policy direction for early intervention in psychosis. It describes key elements that should be considered by policy makers, providers and other stakeholders.

This site contains a number of documents that can assist community-based groups to be involved in public policy initiatives from their inception by providing a set of guidelines and steps to ensure that the public policy process becomes more public and transparent.

This document by the World Health Organization was created to stimulate discussion and action around women’s mental health. Contains sections examining the importance of developing policies which protect and promote women’s mental health.

This document by the British Colombia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health provides an excellent overview of the issues relevant to women’s mental health, and contains a series of recommendations for developing a national women’s mental health strategy.

This summary published by Health Canada highlights the research on growing evidence for the link between social and economic status and health.

This report card from 2003 by Campaign 2000 on Child Poverty in Canada measures the progress, or lack of progress, of the unanimous all-party resolution "to seek to achieve the goal of eliminating poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000".

This resource by the Calgary Volunteer Sector Initiative is designed to help voluntary organizations participate in the federal public policy development process. The guide also gives federal government departments insight into how to involve their voluntary sector counterparts more effectively. The development of this resource was funded by the Government of Canada through the Capacity Joint Table (CJT) of the Voluntary Sector Initiative.

This paper by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health highlights critical issues in housing for people with mental illness and to suggest new approaches to reforming housing policy.

In an attempt to address the critical need for adequate and affordable housing in Canada, the Child and Youth Health Network for Eastern Ontario  produced an overview of research linking housing conditions to child health status. Along with the research document, advocacy tools and ideas for action can be found to assist in making housing a priority.

Despite growing evidence as to their effect upon health outcomes, housing issues have not been high on the agenda of most health researchers in Canada and the federal government and many provincial governments have withdrawn from the provision of social housing over the last decade. To end the current housing crisis and insecurity, governments have to increase their spending on housing by 1 per cent of overall spending and adopt a national housing strategy that recognizes that housing affects the population's health and other social determinants of health.

The Community Social Data Strategy is an exciting project through which municipalities and community-based organizations can access and analyze detailed research findings from Statistics Canada cost effectively. It is an initiative of the Canadian Council on Social Development in partnership with Statistics Canada.

This response by the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) outlines two basic principles that the CAEFS believes should guide the development of mental health services policy for women by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).

This report is a summary of social capital research commissioned by the Policy Research Division, Strategic Policy Directorate, Population and Public Health Branch, Health Canada. The work attempts to clarify the place of social capital among the social determinants of health.

Early in 2003, the Government of Canada’s Policy Research Initiative launched an interdepartmental project to investigate the relevance and usefulness of social capital as a public policy tool. This report presents a synthesis of the main conclusions and key insights learned during the course of this project. It also proposes some possible approaches for the use and integration of social capital in the Canadian policy (and research) agenda.

In recent years, there has been a great deal of change in the way developed countries perceive issues of poverty and exclusion. New data have allowed a better understanding of the dynamics of poverty, its persistence over the course of life, and the identification of groups at risk. The Policy Research Initiative of the Government of Canada is collaborating with other federal departments in a systematic exploration of the potential implications for policy-making of these newer ways of perceiving poverty and exclusion. This presentation outlines suggestions for new approaches for addressing poverty and exclusion.

A reaction by the Canadian Policy Research Network to the Ontario government's attempts to involve citizens in setting budget priorities is instructive.

A workshop presentation by the Canadian Policy Research Network (CPRN) exploring how and when to use public dialogue methodology, drawing on CPRN's experience with dialogues on health reform, the social contract, quality of life and other issues.

In late 2002, 400 social and health policy experts, community representatives, and health researchers met at York University at a conference entitled "Social Determinants of Health Across the Life-Span". The purpose of the conference was to consider the state of key social determinants of health (SDOH) across Canada, explore the implications for the health of Canadians, and discuss policy directions to strengthen these social determinants of health. This overview is based on the papers and presentations from the conference, including an overview presentation by Dennis Raphael.

A resource designed by Health Canada to help people in both the public sector and the community understand how to include community experience in the policy-making process

This was the first document in a series that the Canadian Council on Social Development prepared to outline the issues and opportunities  that face the country as a result of the newly created Canada Social Transfer.

A tool by Health Canada for analyzing legislation, policies, programs and practices to determine whether they promote the social and economic inclusion of individuals, families, and communities.

A bibliography by Health Canada that describes 26 publications about indicators for measuring the conditions that determine the health of a population.

A practical guide by Health Canada to public policy development with specific emphasis on the meaningful inclusion of stakeholders and citizens.

In spite of an accumulated body of evidence and Canada's own expertise on the topic, there is currently a policy vacuum on social determinants of health, as the costs and delivery of health care services have come to dominate the public debate. Whereas Canada was a leader in the 1970s and 1980s, it has now fallen behind countries such as the United Kingdom, Finland and Sweden. If we continue to ignore these broader policy issues, promoting healthy lifestyles and increasing spending on medical care are unlikely to succeed in maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. Establishing a social determinants of health task force to consider the findings and implement their implications would be a valuable first step in this direction.

The seventeen papers contained in this volume by the Policy Research Initiative from the Government of Canada explore issues that face public policy makers as they begin to work toward programs and policies that will address the aspirations and needs of Aboriginal people and communities in urban areas.

A key background document by Health Canada which provides a general context of research into Aboriginal health in Canada. Discusses federal-level policy change required to address health inequities.

In June 2002, CMHA National, building on work by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH), embarked upon an ambitious 22-month project, Citizens for Mental Health. On September 19-20, 2003, 28 project participants from across Canada met in Toronto to further refine the recommended actions related to the common issues identified through the regional forums and, through this process, contribute to the development of a national mental health policy framework. This report documents that two-day session.

This housing backgrounder was developed by the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Citizens for Mental Health project: a two year project which came to a close in May 2004. The project goal was to enhance the capacity of the voluntary sector to engage in federal level policy initiatives related to mental health. Through a series of consultations with a range of voluntary sector organizations, housing was identified as a key determinant related to the mental health of every community.

This backgrounder on caregiver support was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on justice was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on the social union framework was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on home care was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on immigrant & refugee mental healtwas created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on mental illness in Canada was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on CMHA's Framework for Support model was created for the Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on housing and homelessness was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on mental health was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

This backgrounder on mental illness in Canada was created for the CMHA's Citizens for Mental Health forum series to provide an overview of the issue and highlight government and community-based responses.

In Toronto on January 29th – 31st, 2006, the CMHA National, the Canadian Association for Community Care and the Canadian Home Care Association, held a Policy Forum on Home Care and Mental Health.  This Forum brought together key stakeholders from governments, service providers, consumers of mental health services, families, health professionals and community-based organizations for discussions that will advance the policy agenda for mental health home care.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), National Office hosted a web discussion throughout March and April 2005 to promote a dialogue on mental health and home care: key issues and policy implications. The web discussion touched on many of the important elements to be considered in developing mental health and home care policies.

This independent survey was conducted by Leger Marketing in December 2002 and January 2003. It explores the effects of depression and anxiety on Canadian society by compiling and comparing regional statistics.

Canada is the only advanced industrial country that does not have a national strategy or plan on mental health. As a result, people in Canada suffer unnecessary disability and mortality from mental illness, addictions, and poor mental health, and system costs continue to rise. One in five people in Canada experience mental illness and are dependent on support from their families, communities, the economy, and a stretched social service system. This paper explains why a national mental health strategy is urgently needed.

For the purpose of this study, the Committee adopted a broad approach towards examining mental health, mental illness and addiction in terms of: the prevalence of mental disorders and their economic impact on various sectors of the Canadian society, including business, education and health care systems; relevant federal and provincial policies and programs; mental health strategies in other countries; mental health promotion, mental illness and suicide prevention; mental health related disease surveillance and research; access to and delivery of mental health services and addiction treatment; support to families and caregivers; and the potential for the development of a national action plan on mental health, mental illness and addiction in Canada.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) was created by the federal government in its budget of March 2007. The goal of the MHCC is to help bring into being an integrated mental health system that places people living with mental illness at its centre. To this end, the Commission encourages cooperation and collaboration among governments, mental health service providers, employers, the scientific and research communities, as well as Canadians living with mental illness, their families and caregivers. In this, the MHCC’s inaugural Annual Report, we are eager to share with Canadians the progress that has been made towards accomplishing our mandate.

It's being called a silent crisis, a sleeper issue. But there are signs that this sleeper is at last awakening. Around the world studies, surveys, web networks, journals and newspaper articles are shedding light on a shadowy subject: men's mental health.

The implications of a growing population of seniors and a growing home care sector are significant for health care policy generally, but also for mental health policy specifically. In the research conducted for this guide, key stakeholders across Canada were emphatic regarding the need for a holistic model of care – incorporating both medical and psychosocial supports – to meet the needs of seniors today and in the future. The research also demonstrated that there is considerable potential for home care to play a greater role in implementing such a model, and in doing so, support the mental health and well-being of seniors in Canada.

Mental health factors, such as one's level of self-esteem or ability to handle stress, are linked to whether or not a young Canadian will display delinquent behaviour or become involved in criminal activity. According to a new study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), youth aged 12 to 13 who reported hyperactivity and depression were more likely to report high levels of aggressive behaviour, as well as high levels of delinquent acts involving property. In contrast, new analyses show that youth aged 12 to 15 with high levels of self-esteem, good stress management and self-motivation are more likely to report never engaging in aggressive behaviour.

Since work is an essential part of participation in society, the loss of paid employment can have serious psychosocial, as well as economic, effects. In setting forth this policy statement, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) recognizes that access to meaningful paid employment is a basic human right. In a fair and equitable nation, social justice demands government standards which promote full employment and programs which assist those who are unemployed.

Violence is not somebody else's problem, it is everyone's. Violence permeates Canadian society, in the home, in the workplace, in sport, in schools, in religious institutions, and in the media. Each of us must take responsibility for the values, beliefs and institutions in our society that permit violence to happen. Individually and collectively, we must begin to eradicate violence in our society through public education and awareness, through a shift in power relationships, and through law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Power differential is a major factor in violence, and there are many groups and individuals who suffer from an imbalance of power. Women and children are two particularly vulnerable groups in society and therefore the primary victims of violence.

Research and practice often operate fairly independently from one another. The recent interest in knowledge transfer and exchange in mental health can be understood as a response to the gap between research information and action on that information by policy makers, decision makers, and providers. It is an attempt to ensure that research outcomes can improve the system, and ultimately enhance the delivery of services and supports on the ground.

There is no doubt that a gap exists between research and practice, and that it has to be bridged. Nor is there any question that the service system could use improving. But it is important to remember that knowledge exchange is not a one-way street, and that recipients of knowledge in one context may be the producers of knowledge in another.

The Canadian Mental Health Association believes that people who may need mental health care deserve the full range of informed choices surrounding the best possible care. This includes the choice to reject treatment. Self-help options and informal personal supports may complement or supplant the full range of formal psychosocial and medical treatments, in accordance with the wishes of the individual. It cannot be assumed that medical treatment is the only or best option for individuals.

Mental health promotion is not a new concept, but it is still not well understood. Nevertheless, research is showing that mental health promotion initiatives can have concrete, positive outcomes for the entire population. It is a powerful resource with significant potential for grounding the work of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

This 2001 position paper provides an analysis on why the issues of people with serious mental illness should be on the Federal income support agenda. It provides a thorough understanding of how current Federal income security programs operate in order to identify ways they might be improved so that people with serious mental illness can have access to adequate income and a decent quality of life. The policy recommendations put forward in this document are intended for use as advocacy tools, and may suggest opportunities for collaboration with other national disability groups.

Income security is a key determinant of health related to the mental health of communities. Canadian and international studies support the role income security plays in defining the socio-economic status and its relation to health outcomes. Those representing higher social and economic strata are more likely to experience more positive states of (mental) health and well being than those in lower strata. Additionally, evidence indicates that as the gap between rich and poor increases, the health of the population suffers.

Mental illness is a major health issue for society and for government. Discrimination persists in the organization and provision of hospital care and community health care for people with mental illness. The Canadian Mental Health Association is working actively to maintain and to improve a health care system in which the principles of universal access, uniform terms and conditions, comprehensiveness, portability and public administration are upheld.

A home is the base from which we have the security to build our lives as we choose. We should be able to choose where to live, whom to see, and how to behave in our home. In our home we should have the privacy to reflect and relax in peace. We should have the autonomy to decorate and maintain our home as we see fit. Our home is the focus of our social network. These are all arguably essential prerequisites of mental health and well-being. They should be seen as necessary components of housing programs, not as privileges to which people "graduate." Security, choice autonomy, financial self-sufficiency, privacy, and control are all part of the healing process. They should never be denied people, except at times of extreme risk to self or others.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) tracks health spending by each source of finance in the National Health Expenditure Database (NHEX). This database contains a historical series of macro level health expenditure statistics by province and territory beginning in 1960. The Canadian Institute for Health Information assumed responsibility for the national health accounts, including the National Health Expenditure database, in 1995. National Health Expenditure Trends (1975–2005) is CIHI’s ninth annual health expenditure trends publication and provides detailed, updated information on health expenditure in Canada.

Following a two year consultation with a range of voluntary sector organizations from across Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Citizens for Mental Health project determined housing as a key determinant related to the mental health of every community. As such, it was concluded that to improve the mental health of all, governments must ensure access to safe, affordable and appropriate housing as individual circumstances necessitate.

According to a new analysis from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 38% of patients discharged with a diagnosis of schizophrenia from a general hospital in Canada had unplanned readmissions (through emergency departments) for a mental illness within one year of their discharge. The analysis also found that 12% of schizophrenia patients (or one in eight patients) were readmitted to hospital within 30 days of their initial discharge, in the years 2003 to 2005.

The report focuses on individuals who were separated from hospital in 2002–2003 following an inpatient stay for a mental illness, covering the separation diagnosis categories of schizophrenia, mood disorders, substance related disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, organic disorders, and other disorders. Given that an inpatient stay is a condition of inclusion, such separations generally represent the most severe among the population of individuals living with mental illness.

In June 2008, CMHA responded to the 2006 Out of the Shadows report with a position paper, “Out of the Shadows Redux”. Now that the Commission has released its draft framework for a national strategy, we are returning with a follow-up submission. We begin with a brief summary of CMHA’s previous messages.

This booklet explores the realities of Canadians' perceptions towards mental health issues and the impact of 24/7 technology. It also reveals how the pursuit of money and the shift in interpersonal relationships affect the well-being of people's daily lives. The subject matter also delves into mental health issues in the workplace, offers some tools for stress management, and presents ideas toward achieving a happy medium between work and personal life.

Mental health professionals require better training to respond to women's mental health needs. Most training programs presently do not require coverage of gender issues nor do they even attempt to address how women's experiences are different from men's. Women's biological, psychological and social needs are not part of the curriculum in professional schools, and most therapy and research are premised on male experience. Mental health research by women receives only 6.05% of all mental health research funds in Canada and only 0.42% of all health research funds.

Over the past year, the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has received more than two thousand submissions from all across Canada on the subject of mental health, mental illness and addiction. Hundreds of Canadians shared heartbreaking stories that revealed to the Committee the true state of Canada’s mental health, mental illness and addiction “system.” The members of the Committee have come to recognize the reality that profound change is essential if persons living with mental illness are to receive the help they need and to which they are entitled. We trust that readers of this report will reach the same conclusion.

From time to time, health ranking reports are published giving widely varying indications of Canadians' health and health care systems—are we fifth in the world or twenty-fifth? This raises the question, "Which ranking is more meaningful?" This special methodological report will help readers understand and assess reports that rank the health status or health system performance of a country, province or jurisdiction. This paper outlines the components and processes that underlie health rankings and explores why such rankings can be difficult to interpret. The report also includes a plain-language checklist to use as a critical evaluative resource when reading health-ranking reports.

Health Care in Canada 2008 (HCIC 2008) is the ninth in a series of annual reports on Canada's health care system. Health Care in Canada 2008 continues the new format and focused content that was launched in HCIC 2007, providing a review of key analytic work undertaken at CIHI that highlights CIHI's health care research priorities (access, quality of care, health human resources, funding/costs, etc.). Also included in this report is a review of seminal national and international health care research as it maps onto these health care priorities. HCIC 2008 is an important tool for health care researchers, persons involved in strategic decision-making in health care, the media and Canadians in general to identify current priorities in health care.

Over the past year, the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has received more than two thousand submissions from all across Canada on the subject of mental health, mental illness and addiction. Hundreds of Canadians shared heartbreaking stories that revealed to the Committee the true state of Canada’s mental health, mental illness and addiction “system.” The members of the Committee have come to recognize the reality that profound change is essential if persons living with mental illness are to receive the help they need and to which they are entitled. We trust that readers of this report will reach the same conclusion.

In this 2004 submission to the House of Commons Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Canadian Mental Health Association outlines specific technical recommendations surrounding Bill C-10 to ensure that the legislation will provide for appropriate safeguards to ensure that the balance between public interest and individual rights is achieved.

In this paper, CMHA starts the discussion of bridging from Out of the Shadows to a national strategy by proposing components of a more coherent approach that uses the recovery vision in Out of the Shadows as a unifying thread to connect all the pieces, and develops a theoretical framework that distinguishes services and supports throughout the document, highlighting determinants of health and other community-based approaches (such as the role of NGOs) outside the realm of formal government services. We present these key recommendations, along with examples of related gaps in the Out of the Shadows report, and some specific suggestions for action.

In this 2004 submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, the Canadian Mental Health Association outlines the need for a Pan-Canadian Strategy on Mental Illness and Mental Health under federal leadership.

In this 2005 submission to the Senate Subcommittee on Population Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association contributed to their consideration of mental health issues by sharing findings on Canadians' perspectives on the determinants of health, and discussing the implications of these findings in terms of federal government action on population health.

The Canadian Mental Health Association recommends five broad areas on which the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology should move forward: developing and implementing a pan-Canadian national strategy on mental Illness/mental health; responding to the Premiers’ Council’s commitment to community mental health; ensuring that children and youth, aboriginals, women, and new immigrants are included in the national strategy; ensuring that suicide is addressed as part of the national strategy; and committing to increasing the capacity of the voluntary sector in the mental health community to participate in public policy development.

In this 2009 submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, the Canadian Mental Health Association advocates that income support and other measures to prevent and reduce poverty can play several roles with regard to mental illness and mental health. We have attempted to mainstream our advocacy to cover three areas of importance to the planning and configuring of the upcoming federal budget. These areas cover modifications to the National Child Benefit Supplement, Canada Social Transfer, and development of Basic Income Support Programs for persons living with mental illness and other disabilities. We believe that our recommendations are realistic and realizable, and that they have the potential to promote mental health and wellness, and optimize psychological, social, civic, and economic functioning.

In its pre-budget consultations for the fall of 2005, the Standing Committee of Finance indicated an interest in receiving input on how improvements to Canada’s productivity performance contributes to the economic growth of the nation. In this submission, the Canadian Mental Health Association challenged the committee to look outside of the traditional business/economic model of small, medium and large businesses to consider whether Canada is making the most out of the potential of all its citizens.

People living with mental illness are severely affected by social and economic inequality. Through no fault of their own they face extended and often lifetime unemployment, social exclusion, isolation, relationship distress, poor physical health and lack of hope for the future. In Canada, persons who suffer from mental illness constitute a disproportionate percentage of persons living below the poverty line, thus exacerbating problems associated with mental illness and contributing to stressors which cause poor mental health.

Overall, Phase One of Project IN4M confirms that the potential exists to put in place a reliable, needs-based predictive model built around incidence and prevalence of mental health disorders and leading practices here in Canada and imported from other countries such as Australia. While the project confirms that mental health is, for the most part, a “data-free zone”, models exist for estimating the prevalence and incidence of some of the key mental health diagnoses and for better estimating the effective supply of the broader range of health and social service providers. We can also draw upon the lessons learned from the case studies conducted to refine our models around optimal mix of inputs to maximize health outcomes.

The Canadian Mental Health Association, through research and experience, has proved that people who experience mental illness can be employed successfully. Persons with mental illness can and do hold responsible jobs and make significant contributions in their work, home and leisure lives. However, not all persons who could be employed are working because they, potential employers, professional caregivers, and the public emphasize their disabilities, not their capabilities.

Project IN4M is a three-phase research project, jointly funded by Health Canada and the Mental Health Commission. It’s overall goal is to improve the accessibility of high-quality mental-health services “through needs-based predictive modelling of health, social, education, criminal justice and private sector human resources – including informal caregivers.” Phase One, the subject of this report, examines possibilities for predictive modelling based on needs-based planning experiences in Canada and around the world.

Project IN4M is a multi-sectoral project managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in association with the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). This collaborative initiative proposes to explore the feasibility of taking needs-based human resources planning from theory to practice in the mental health domain. The MHCC sees a need for a predictive tool that would supplement its research agenda. Project IN4M is designed to produce a human resources planning tool that will be robust over time, across jurisdictions and across major diagnostic categories. The predictive tool would give governments, service providers and the public a better picture of what is needed in terms of human resource capacity for both formal and informal care-giving (including peer support and peer workers) to address the demand, both now and in the future, for mental health services.

In 1999, a study titled Geographic Distribution of Physicians in Canada was published,
which documented how physicians were distributed in Canada, using data mostly from the
mid-1990s.1 But the nature and extent of distribution imbalances, and possibly the public’s
perception of them, are changing—and so is our understanding of what constitutes
distribution imbalances. This study, published by the Canadian Institute for Health Information in 2005 represents an update and extension of the 1999 publication.

During August and September 2010, IN4M staff surveyed experts on existing planning models and to determine strategies to deal with the current lack of data; these strategies included a discussion of the use of data proxies – facts, figures or criteria. The survey results will form the basis for a national roundtable of policy-makers from a variety of sectors (including education, criminal justice, social services, health, private sector, private practice, informal caregivers and NGOs) in November 2010. The invitational roundtable will consider the results of an environmental scan, a review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, and these results to give expert advice on the development of a needs-based model for mental health human resources for Canada, and its provinces and territories.

In order to provide contextual qualitative information on the design and delivery of needs-based planning models, the Project IN4M team conducted four case studies of existing approaches to planning human resources. Case studies for the purpose of this project are a study of a unit, such as an organization, that stresses factors contributing to its success or improvement. These studies are highlighted as an exemplar, cautionary model or instructive/illustrative example. The Health Canada approved IN4M project plan provided for three case studies, but to provide additional insights, an additional case was added.

This Analysis in Brief by the Canadian Institute for Health Information looks at symptoms and diagnoses of depression in a sample of nearly 50,000 seniors living in 550 Canadian residential care facilities (also known as long-term care, nursing or personal care homes) in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Yukon. Relationships between depression and medical conditions, functional and social factors, quality of life and use of health services are explored, comparing those who have symptoms and/or a diagnosis of depression with other residents. The analysis concludes with a discussion of opportunities to improve the quality of care for seniors with symptoms of depression using new information available from the CCRS at CIHI.

This study was conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Wyeth Canada to understand the incidence and effect of depression and anxiety on women in the workplace. Its objectives were to measure the prevalence of these conditions among working women and to understand a) how these illnesses affect women’s day-to-day experience at work, b) what impact, if any, they have on women’s career paths, and c) how getting well (achieving remission), may benefit the work life and careers of the women studied.

Canada has a long tradition of opening its doors to people from all over the world. Since the second world war, significant demographic changes have occurred in this country. Since the 1970's, the Canadian immigrant population has shifted from mainly European immigration to people from Asia and Africa. The immigrants and refugees arriving in Canada face many barriers to an easy adjustment to Canadian society. The challenge of learning a new language and socio-economic and legal issues make the task of starting a new life in Canada a daunting one. As our population becomes more diverse, the services we provide have to be relevant and accessible to all the people in our community. In addition, as the population changes, the ways in which we provide services must also change. For instance, in order to provide good mental health services, the services need to become culturally sensitive and appropriate.

Within CMHA, "consumers" have been defined as "people with direct experience of significant mental health problems who have used the resources available from the mental health system." Many persons who volunteer or work in the CMHA or mental health system and the community have suffered from mental illness. However, for a variety of reasons, people may choose not to identify themselves as consumers; usually consumer participation means the inclusion of people who choose to identify themselves as consumer of mental health services. This self-identification is part of the empowerment of people who have often been left out of decision-making.

A health problem of the scope and importance of mental illness requires a comprehensive surveillance system to monitor progress in achieving policy and program goals. A workshop held in September, 1999, co-sponsored by Health Canada and the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH), developed a comprehensive indicator framework for a Mental Illnesses and Mental Health Surveillance System. This report responds to the recommendations from the workshop to collate existing data in order to begin the process of creating a picture of mental illnesses in Canada.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is a strong supporter of the need for a strong consumer voice in all aspects of mental illness/mental health policy, planning, and delivery – from participation to decision-making to choice.

Although lower socio-economic status (SES) has been linked consistently with higher rates of mental illness, it has not always been associated with higher rates of mental health service use. In this Analysis in Brief the relationship between SES, as measured by neighbourhood income, and inpatient hospital mental health service use for depression was examined in persons age 15 to 64 in 13 cities across Canada. The results suggest an inverse relationship such that individuals from lower-SES neighbourhoods were more likely to be hospitalized for depression than those in higher-SES neighbourhoods. However, no relationship was observed between SES and hospital length of stay or hospital readmission rates, suggesting that differences in SES were not linked with differences in severity of illness or persistence of treatment.

Individuals need support from the community to assume greater control over their own lives, and to utilize the resources within their natural environment. Equally important is the deepening and strengthening of the community's capacity to respond to people who have previously been rejected.

Canadians are among the world’s healthiest populations, but not all Canadians are equally healthy. Gaps (or differences) in health are particularly observable in urban Canada, where links between health and socio-economic status (SES) can be analyzed at small geographical levels. This report addresses multiple material and social dimensions of SES by using an index that incorporates education, income, employment, single-parent families, persons living alone and the proportion of persons separated, divorced or widowed.

The Canadian Mental Health Association recognizes that sexual exploitation and abuse by mental health service providers takes place. The Association also recognizes that without fail such exploitation and abuse are harmful to mental health consumers. Evidence has come from anecdotal reports, complaints to professional associations, and more recently from surveys of the general public and professional groups.

Mental illness can affect anybody, regardless of age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or social class. But no matter who they are, people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness are all likely to experience stigma. Public attitudes and beliefs, often based on fear and misunderstanding, stereotype individuals with mental illness, exposing them to prejudice and discrimination. Stigma infects every issue surrounding mental illness, often with worse consequences than the illness itself. In 2001, the World Health Organization declared stigma to be the “single most important barrier to overcome in the community.”

The purpose of the Workshop on Suicide-Related Research in Canada, held in Montreal February 7-8, 2003, was to develop a national, collaborative agenda on research related to suicide in Canada. This workshop brought together 43 practitioners, researchers and representatives of non-governmental organizations, Aboriginal communities, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Health Canada for an exploratory consultation focused on the development of a national agenda on research focused on both suicide and suicide-related behaviour.

The implementation of Medicare in the 1960s required a major investment in capacity-building to train health professionals. The Heath Resources Fund Act – introduced by the federal government in 1966 played a key role in enabling a significant expansion in training capacity across the provinces for a range of health practitioners. Over forty years later, with the challenges associated with an aging workforce and a higher volume and complexity of population health needs, the Health Action Lobby (HEAL) believes that bold action is once again required.

In 1993 CMHA conducted a cross-Canada study of violence towards people with mental health problems. The study focused on people who had experienced violence after becoming consumers of mental health services. It identified that the homes, public places and hospitals are the places where violence is most often experienced by people with mental health problems, and that family members, mental health service consumers and service providers are those most likely to be violent towards them.

For some time now, the CMHA has struggled with the issue of community committal or compulsory community treatment. Proposed as an alternative or a supplement to involuntary hospitalization, community committal has strong support from family groups and the psychiatric profession. Many consumer groups are as strongly opposed. Views on community committal are influenced by personal experiences. Family members see their loved ones rejecting treatment and support, especially medication, and are naturally distressed by the suffering which is the usual result. Many consumers, on the other hand, have had very negative experiences with involuntary treatment. Ironically, both consumers and family members have experienced great frustration with obtaining adequate services, including hospitalization, on a voluntary basis.

If waiting for health service in general is difficult, waiting for psychiatric service is especially trying. For most of us, the worry of "losing your mind" is the greatest fear of all. Receiving a timely consultation and the knowledge that help is on the way are an enormous boon. It is equivalent to the relief experienced when treatment finally begins for any other serious health condition. For this reason, the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) has identified appropriate clinical benchmarks for what the waiting time for psychiatric care should be. If clinicians do not establish appropriate targets themselves, then no service can be evaluated against good clinical criteria.

Throughout the 1990s, technological change and the need to be globally competitive increased the pressures on organizations and employees alike. Taken together, these changes suggest it is time for another rigorous empirical look at the issue of work-life conflict. The research outlined in this report and the others in the series was designed to provide business and labour leaders, policy makers and academics with an objective "big picture" view on what has happened in this area in Canada in the last decade and what the current situation is. As such, it will allow interested parties to separate the rhetoric from the reality with respect to work-life conflict.

The purpose of this analysis by the Canadian Institute for Health Information is to look at trends in the use of antipsychotics in seniors (defined in this analysis as people 65 or older) between 2001–2002 and 2006–2007, using drug claims data from public drug programs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. This analysis will look at trends in use by age and sex, and compare the use of typical and atypical agents. Additional analyses will focus on atypical antipsychotics, including use and average daily dose by chemical, use in community and long-term care settings, as well as use among seniors with and without claims for anti-dementia drugs.

Welfare Incomes 2005 estimates total welfare incomes for four types of households in each province and territory, for a total of 52 scenarios. The four household types we use are a single employable person, a single person with a disability, a lone-parent with a 2-year-old child, and a two-parent family with two children aged 10 and 15. The National Council of Welfare has published similar estimates since 1986.

A number of studies on women's health have demonstrated strong links between health status and socioeconomic factors affecting women. Limited participation in public life, restricted decision-making, devalued role expectations, poverty, violence and sexual abuse encumber the potential for mental well-being. Social and economic stresses, coupled with the inequitable burdens imposed by role expectations, often have a negative impact on women's health, happiness and potential for personal fulfillment and achievement.

Social inequality has damaging consequences for the mental and emotional well-being of women. Throughout their lives, women may be considered "at risk" of developing emotional problems due to a host of social factors. Limited participation in public life, restricted decision-making, devalued role expectations, poverty, violence and sexual abuse undermine the potential for emotional well-being. Social change is needed to strengthen the emotional well-being of women individually and collectively in society.

Since its inception over seventy years ago, the Canadian Mental Health Association has been a unique advocate for the chronically mentally ill. During the past decade, CMHA has expanded its mandate from promoting service delivery to active support of self-help initiatives and the community resource base. The protection of individual rights in therapeutic programs and in the community has become a major focus.

The Canadian Mental Health Association believes that social inequality has damaging consequences for women's mental well-being. Inequalities continue to exist for Canadian women with respect to family life, education, training, employment, and decision-making roles in society. Although a small proportion of women are benefiting from policies designed to increase access to professional occupations that command higher incomes, the vast majority of women remain in low-status, low-income jobs. So far, efforts toward implementing employment and pay equity policies have had little impact. Women continue to be over represented among the economically disadvantaged.

Access to mental health services is an issue that significantly impacts all Canadians, whether living with a mental illness or not. When the First Ministers convened this past February to discuss the long-term future of health care in Canada, improving access and quality of community mental health services was identified as one of eight priority areas. We believe the federal government has a critical role to play in facilitating federal/provincial/ territorial partnerships to begin to address many of the access barriers facing Canadians today.

The last few decades have seen a growing number of women in the labour force. As the gender ratio evens out and more women assume the mantle of senior leadership, it becomes increasingly important for employers and their EAPs to identify and address gender differences in work and non-work stressors. With this in mind, we conducted a study to examine and compare EAP utilization trends among men and women from 2002 to 2004.

Just as early childhood experiences can have an important impact on health throughout a person's life, teens' experiences are also linked to health status many years later. Improving the Health of Young Canadians explores links between adolescents' social environments (families, schools, peers and communities) and their health. Our focus is on the health of Canadian youth aged 12 to 19 years.