Blog 3: Depression and Mental Health in Canada
We commonly denote strong feelings of sadness or being down as a period of depression. Although the term can be used in this sense, the medical prognosis should not be undermined as means of being a commonality. Clinical depression or major depression is a serious mental illness that isolates many people from experiencing the joys of life. The Public Health Agency of Canada explains that “almost one in 8 adults (12.6%) identified symptoms that met the criteria for a mood disorder...including 11.3% for depression…” (Canada, P.). The country of Canada struggles to provide proper care to those who are struggling with mental illnesses. There are a multitude of behavioral and physical symptoms that a person might encounter. Mood is one of the most important aspects to speculate as managing and processing emotions grows hindered, therefore causing a strain on one’s health and wellness.
An issue for health related concerns in general would be taking the initiative to seek help. Since depression is an illness of the mind, it can be difficult to give life to words that question one’s own emotional wellbeing. Depression and many other mental illnesses are engulfed by social stigmas that others will see you through a negative scope. Furthermore, it is necessary for healthcare professionals to be adequately informed on what measures to pursue in order for the patients’ health to remain in the best interest. The workforce capacity in Canada offers a vast amount of professionals who can appropriately approach the mental health needs of a patient. However, only 41% of primary care practices in Canada are equipped with psychologists or mental health providers (Tikkanen, R.). Can the Canadian population confidently rely on their primary care physicians to address these signs and symptoms of mental illness with a sufficient plan? Although as previously stated that there is a sufficient population of health care professionals who can address mental illness, nurses and social workers make up 76.9% of this data, leaving psychologists and psychiatrists to make up for the remaining fraction (Tikkanen, R.). Moreover, primary care physicians should handle mental disorders diligently with preventative plans set in place to make the necessary recovery process easier for the patient. There are many resources required for people diagnosed with mental disorders, such as psychological and psychiatric referrals for access to therapy and medications, information on support groups, and ways for family members to enable healthier behaviors.
From an economic perspective, Canada falls short on meeting the budgetary requirements for mental health. It is commended that mental health receives 9% of all health spending according to the Mental Health Strategy for Canada. Data examined in 2015 stated that "government transfers would need to increase to $3.1 billion per year, with a incremental base funding increase of $310 million each year, to achieve the target." (Bertram, M.). It is apparent through the deficiency of qualified professionals and under-spending that mental disorders are not provided with the appropriate amount of resources in order to seek improvements in this sector of Canadian health.
Works Cited
Bartram, M. (2017, November 6). Making the most of the federal investment of $5 billion for mental health. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5675542/
Canada, P. (2016, December 30). Government of Canada. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/chronic-diseases/mental-illness/what-depression.html
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2019, June 26). Fast Facts about Mental Illness. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://cmha.ca/fast-facts-about-mental-illness
Tikkanen, R. (2020, May 21). Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use: Comparing U.S. Needs and Treatment Capacity with Those in Other High-Income Countries: Commonwealth Fund. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/may/mental-health-conditions-substance-use-comparing-us-other-countries
Comments
Post a Comment