Evidence of meeting #53 for Health in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was child.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:45 p.m.
President-Elect, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
It's for psychotherapists and certified Canadian counsellors [Inaudible—Editor]
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
12:45 p.m.
President-Elect, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
I'd like to see it reinstated, because it was present up until 2017, I think. We'd like it reinstated permanently.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Brendan Hanley Liberal Yukon, YT
Permanent reinstatement would be beneficial for our first nations and indigenous children. Thank you.
I would like to turn to Dr. Afifi. You mentioned almost in passing a relationship between childhood stress—toxic stress, I believe—and chronic disease outcomes later in life.
Could you comment on where we are in the research and understanding of that relationship, because I'm not sure it's very well known or understood?
February 9th, 2023 / 12:45 p.m.
Professor, University of Manitoba, As an Individual
There's a lot of research that has been done in looking at how stress has an impact on the body and whether or not.... Some stress in certain situations is adaptive, healthy and good, but the thing is that we need to....
For some children, they experience chronic stress. They don't get relief from it. They don't have someone to help them process that stress or relieve that stress, so they're in a current state of hyperarousal or their nervous system is always engaged, so they always have that hyperarousal. When you live in that state, your heart rate is elevated, your blood pressure is elevated and you have many different impacts on your physical health and your mental health. Living in that constant state has a long-term impact on health.
There is a lot of evidence to show that it can have an increased likelihood not only of physical health conditions, but also of mental health conditions. Often, children who live in a home where they experience violence are always in that hyper state of arousal of chronic toxic stress.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, thank you to the witnesses.
When we were talking about the importance of sport and activity in children, it triggered something that's been pretty active in the news as of late. It's the very serious allegations of abuse that have been coming up, specifically around Gymnastics Canada.
Particularly, Ms. Thomson, when you were talking about eating disorders.... We've heard of so many situations from which some of this abuse has led to lifelong eating disorders in some of these gymnasts. There are allegations of sexual abuse.
I wonder as much as, yes, activity is very important for kids, in situations like this one when extreme abuse is being reported and alleged...how does it impact children?
12:50 p.m.
Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
It makes things worse. When we're talking about the context of organized sport, I guess what I didn't say was that we're assuming that it's a safe environment. We're assuming that it's an environment for growth and development. Absolutely, building off what Dr. Afifi was just talking about, if you're in this constant state of fear and you have all this cortisol constantly running through you, it's going to lead to a lot of mental health challenges.
The piece specifically around eating disorders, which is very common, is that everything in my life is so chaotic and I have no control. Food is the one thing I have control over, to take back some of that autonomy. That's some of that self-determination.
That gives you a bit of insight and is a bit clearer on where that link comes from between those two parts.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Okay.
Would you be supportive of the idea of having an investigation by the Government of Canada into the allegations against Gymnastics Canada?
12:50 p.m.
Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
Absolutely.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
President-Elect, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
Absolutely.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
Professor, University of Manitoba, As an Individual
Any time children are at risk, we need to protect them. I would always support any time we think that children are at risk, whether it's any organization at all. We need to protect them.
12:50 p.m.
Director, Offord Centre for Child Studies
Can I add to those comments as well?
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
It's nice to have some commonality around the table on this, because I think this is something....
As a parent to a young child, my little guy is still too little to be involved in any organized sport, but it's something that's very top of mind to me. What sport would I want to put him in?
My happy spot as a kid and my happy spot now as an adult is at the top of the slopes with skis strapped to me. That has always been my way of getting out, de-stressing and connecting with nature.
However, there are so many allegations of abuse and there are so many cases coming up of kids being abused by their coaches and sexually abused by their coaches, I think that makes parents...at least it makes me very nervous. What am I putting my child into? As much as I know there are tons of benefits, in the cases where there is abuse, I don't think there could be a single benefit.
Can you guys touch on that a bit?
12:50 p.m.
Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
I'm trying to think about what else to add, because I'm 100% in agreement with you. That's something we need to look at.
Also, the impact of parents' mental health, and being able to think.... If I were a parent, would I want to put them in a sport, at all? There's so much risk with hockey, gymnastics, dance and ballet. What is safe to put kids into, these days?
12:50 p.m.
President-Elect, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
I think that speaks to those associations' gatekeeping. How do we check to see whether their checks on who's who, and who comes from where...?
In all sports and many educational institutions, that is something that falls short.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Is it troubling to you that the Government of Canada is still providing funding to many of these organizations, in spite of...?
12:50 p.m.
President-Elect, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
It's not troubling to me. It's troubling to know children are suffering, as a result of that.
I think that's perhaps inside work for those associations—to look at that. I think sports are generally good. I don't think all coaches are.... If that were the case, then, yes, I think the government should get in there, but the associations need to take responsibility for those whom they bring in to coach [Inaudible—Editor].
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
I find it exceptionally troubling that there have been allegations that these organizations are covering up some of the abuse. To me, that is part and parcel of the issue.
12:55 p.m.
President-Elect, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
It speaks to the same thing that went on in residential schools, and that goes on in educational schools for settler folks here in Canada, as well—private or public schools. There are always people who infiltrate. It speaks to families with abusers within the family. I think it's systemic. It will take a lot of work, insight and working together among psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors and so on to help—and for all the governments across Canada to work in sync on that.
I would also add this: Put the information out to the counsellors and therapists. When they print 140-page things, make sure we are getting access to them, so we're more aware, publicly, about where funding is going, who's being funded, and how we're getting access to the information. Is it bottom-up or top-down? I would hope it's bottom-up.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Ms. Foster.
The last round of questions for today's meeting will be posed by Mr. Jowhari.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's a great opportunity for me to ask a second round of questions.
The question is going to Professor Afifi.
In 2011, you co-authored a paper with—I believe—Professor MacMillan, which identified protective factors that may affect a child's resilience. These factors were organized into individual-, family- and community-level protective categories.
From your perspective, what are some of the most important protective factors that affect a child's resilience?
12:55 p.m.
Professor, University of Manitoba, As an Individual
That was a review paper we did in 2011. Since then, we've published many papers in the area. We focused on the children within their environments, because protective factors can come at many levels.
We also focused on things we can change. What is something we can change? At the individual level, it's important for children to feel they can be optimistic, in control and positive about their future—to have a plan. That's important, so they can envision their life in five years, instead of feeling they have no control in their life. That's very important.
We also find that parenting relationships are very important. Telling your children you love them, giving them hugs and spending quality time with them is very protective. Having an adult is very protective. That can even be found in a school. It can be a teacher, or a positive person in sport. If they are providing that supportive, healthy relationship, that is very resilient for for them, as well. Feeling safe in your neighbourhood and environment is very important for resilience.
We're starting to look more at neighbourhood- and society-level factors. That hasn't really been looked at yet. We're trying to look at all the factors at different levels, so we can understand the child within the entire context to which they belong and focus on protective factors at all of those levels.