Mental Health
The Growing Mental Health Crisis: Canada is grappling with an escalating mental health crisis that impacts millions of individuals every year. Each year, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness, and 6.7 million Canadians currently live with mental health challenges, costing the country an estimated $51 billion annually. By age 40, 50% of Canadians will have experienced a mental illness. These challenges affect people regardless of background, age, income, or culture.
However, systemic inequalities such as racism, poverty, homelessness, and discrimination exacerbate mental health disparities, particularly within high-priority, equity-deserving communities, including Indigenous populations, youth, and individuals in marginalized or low-income groups. These groups face additional barriers to accessing adequate care, further compounding the mental health crisis. Despite the widespread need, mental health services remain severely underfunded, resulting in a gap between demand and access. Addressing this gap requires a robust, federally supported strategy to ensure all Canadians, especially those in vulnerable communities, have access to comprehensive and equitable mental health care.
Mental health services across Canada are experiencing severe funding gaps, leading to thinly spread resources and high rates of mental health challenges. This impacts mental health services available at Community Health Centres (CHCs). CHCs play a crucial role in delivering accessible, integrated mental health services to underserved populations, including Indigenous and racialized communities, and low-income individuals. By combining mental health care with primary health services, CHCs reduce stigma, improve accessibility, and ensure timely, culturally appropriate support for high priority communities across Canada. While over 70% of CHCs provide mental health services, this remains the most underfunded service area.
Federal leadership is essential for addressing mental health disparities throughout Canada and ensuring sustainable healthcare that meets the diverse and critical mental health needs of all Canadians. Leveraging Budget 2024, CACHC calls upon the Federal Government to allocate investments from the new Youth Mental Health Fund, Mental Health for Black Canadians Fund, and funding to support Indigenous mental health services to CHCs to deliver accessible, equitable, and culturally-informed mental health support to high-priority populations across Canada. With sustainable funding, CHCs can continue to deliver wraparound and holistic health and social services to support the mental health and wellbeing of Canadians.
A Commitment to Mental Health Equity: Mental health equity requires urgent federal action and sustainable investment. Increased federal involvement in mental health is a crucial step toward health equity and improved health. Investing in mental health now ensures a stronger, more resilient Canada for generations to come.
