I wanted to clarify that four meetings are important. Last week the list of the top four topics for study for each party was submitted, and it's no surprise to anyone here that the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadians is at the top of our list.
I want to thank my colleagues for their support in prioritizing this important topic. Today I'm seeking the support of my colleagues to have no less than four meetings on mental health. In the motion I introduced earlier this fall asking for a mental health study, I outlined a number of key areas for the committee to focus on, and having four meetings on mental health will allow us to cover these topics without rushing through them or missing any of them.
I know it's been a while since we've had a chance to read the motion, so I'd like to briefly refresh our memories.
The first area was understand the impacts, including the gendered impacts of COVID-19 on mental health and the well-being of Canadians.
The second was to analyze the impacts on indigenous peoples, racialized Canadians and vulnerable populations in an effort to identify and address the support gaps.
The third was to study the availability of mental health promotion programs and supports for those experiencing new pandemic stress-related issues, the anxiety that those issues produce and how we're going to be able to respond.
Next was to study the effectiveness and availability of virtual mental health services, and also to analyze how the Government of Canada can assist the provinces and the territories in alleviating potential new demands on their health care systems that would result in an increase in depression, psychological distress and substance abuse, as well as PTSD and domestic violence.
Mr. Chair, I believe it was—and I can't speak for Mr. Davies—the intention to attribute the three meetings to the current year, and it was my understanding that the fourth meeting would be next year.
I do want to emphasize how important it is, given what we're trying to cover, to have four meetings allocated to the mental health study.