Canada must renew leadership on antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance poses a dire threat not only to the future of public health, but also to the economic prosperity of Canada and the entire world. Just before COVID-19 hit, the Public Health Agency of Canada sponsored a first-ever national-level study on the socio-economic impact of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens. The results […]
For mental health, talk and walk are not the same thing
In politics, those who seek our vote talk a lot about what they will do if elected or point to what they have accomplished in terms of getting things done. Both are important as one speaks to the talk of tomorrow, and the other to the walk of yesterday. In the lead up to and […]
Mental health is health: it’s time we act like it
The availability and accessibility of mental health and substance use services across Canada was severely limited before COVID, but the pandemic has been the equivalent of pouring gasoline on a fire. Mental health needs have exploded during the pandemic, a situation that requires urgent action by the federal government. Prior to COVID, children could wait […]
Here are some changes that could help turn the mental health crisis in Canada around
VANCOUVER—The last two years have stressed individuals, institutions, and our communities like never before. As 2022 draws to a close, public health restrictions are easing across Canada, and it feels like the COVID-19 pandemic may be behind us. Still, the question remains, “what will this new normal look like and can we just go back […]
Time to invest in mental health treatments that work
With a mental health crisis growing in the shadows of COVID-19 and a health-care system on the brink of collapse, we need to make every dollar invested in mental health care count. The World Health Organization has already made solid human rights, epidemiological, and economic arguments for universal mental health coverage. If helping to reduce […]
Cannabis Act needs update to limit legal THC concentration
It’s a Saturday in August. I’m just back from a restful vacation, where I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the good things in life: family, friends, and nature. I am on call in a psychiatric Emergency Department (ED) in a large Canadian city. These on-calls are an open window into the suffering of […]
‘I’m the interim leader of a federal political party and I’m still thinking about killing myself’: Amita Kuttner
Following the devastating swath Hurricane Fiona recently cut through Atlantic Canada, federal Green Party interim leader Amita Kuttner wrote on Twitter: “I know what it is to lose home and family to extreme weather; my heart is with those dealing with #FionaHurricane.” Thirty-one-year-old Kuttner, the first transgender person to lead a national Canadian political party […]
No more fuel or zest left: burnout
Work-related hazard The World Health Organization has defined burnout as an “occupational phenomenon.” Burnout is a work-related hazard caused by cumulative workplace stress. It can occur when work demands exceed our personal and job resources. In turn, it leads to reduced work productivity, reduced work performance, reduced work morale, and reduced work engagement. It increases the […]
Investing in human resources is necessary for improving mental health care
Of the thousands of pages written about mental health and COVID, few address one of the key issues that underlies the inability for Canadians to rapidly access high-quality mental health care when needed. That is: the availability of qualified providers with sufficient skill and capacity to meet care needs, and how these providers should be […]
Mental health and substance-use health workforce needs policy attention
More than one-in-three Canadians report serious mental health concerns, and one-in-four report problematic substance use, according to the most recent data from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. These are staggering numbers. The impacts of the global pandemic on the mental health and substance use of […]
