Canada's health systems fall short in making evidence-based psychotherapies available to Canadians who need it. Psychotherapies, delivered largely outside of publicly funded institutions by non-physician providers, are not covered by our public health insurance plans. While many Canadians have access to private health insurance through employment, coverage for psychotherapies is often too low to afford a sufficient dose of treatment.
Canada needs more systemic change to its mental health delivery systems, change which requires intergovernmental collaboration and commitment. Better access to better mental health care can be achieved by resourcing evidence-based interdisciplinary primary care that supports mental wellness, delivers early intervention, and treats chronic conditions, increasing mental health capacity and tertiary care, invests in community-based social and health services, and implementing new technologies to extend the reach of mental health care.
The United Kingdom and Australia have made systemic change with promising results. Options for Canada to implement such change to the delivery of mental health care have been proposed and costed out, either by enhancing mental health resources on primary care teams, augmenting fee-for-service models through private extended health care insurance, or adapting U.K. models for Canada.
Services and supports for mental health and illness are not limited to assessment and treatment. Improving the social determinants of health can transform the lives of those living with or at risk for mental illness. Mental illness impacts everyone, and income is one of the most important social determinants of health. A universal basic income to support all Canadians should be explored. This program could build on existing tax mechanisms, such as the guaranteed income supplement for seniors, the Canada child tax benefit for families with young children, and the goods and services tax credit.
Finally, the federal government should introduce a mental health parity act that affirms that mental health is valued equally to physical health. A mental health parity act would help ensure that communities and workplaces, through their policies, programs, and benefits, attends equally to mental and physical health.
Canada cannot afford to continue its current path of inaccessible mental health services and supports. The costs of mental illness to the economy and the workplace are massive. Some 500,000 Canadians in any given week are unable to work due to mental illness. The private sector spends between $180 billion and $300 billion on short-term disability for mental illness and $135 billion for long-term disability. In 2011, the economic cost of mental health problems was measured at $51 billion.
CAMIMH urges all levels of government to heed the recommendations of the mental health community and make mental health change happen. Our recommendations are explained in greater detail in our formal submission.
We thank you for your time today and look forward to any questions.