Our colleagues have alluded to this. As a physician, I was a generalist. I was a family physician with the military. Then I became a super specialized guy; I became the trauma guy. Later in my career, I became much more of a generalist.
I agree with what my colleagues were saying here, in the sense that there are determinants of health. Determinants of health are much more than health care. It's a societal thing. It's loving relationships, supports and things.
I do think the answer to this one.... It's a tragic outcome for the woman not being able to take care. Overall, the societal support or the cultural support has to be there. I do, sadly, see cases like this. I've had cases in my own practice like this, as well. Not to be the big bad psychiatrist, but I think medication may have been part of the answer for this child if there's a severe neurological disorder such as ADHD, but that's the beginning, not the end.
Unfortunately, the emergency room analogy that one of our colleagues gave about prescribing that young woman benzodiazepines or something like that isn't the end of her story; it's the beginning. I think that a more holistic approach that looks at well-being, employment, stable housing, occupation.... The mother probably needs respite—she can't look after a sick child herself all the time.
If we step back and look at what's really needed.... The Canada Health Act—I could go onto a whole other topic—isn't really a health act. It's to pay for medication if somebody steps on a nail. It never really accounted for mental health, psychology, social work and all the other paraprofessionals we have. We have psychologists, chiropractors and physiotherapists who aren't covered by the Canada Health Act. They're all part of health.
I think the issue we're facing here is that the answer isn't a magic bullet. The other answer is a much more complicated one, but we tend to kind of ignore it.