There are two very significant factors that we see as impacting the ability to earn a living. Number one, first and foremost, is the stigma that clings to mental illness. When I say stigma, what I really mean is discrimination. Tackling stigma, changing attitudes and beliefs about mental illness, and fostering a belief in recovery as an expectation are absolutely key to the second part of the equation, which is the workplace.
We know that most Canadians who work spend more time at work than they do at home with their families and that the workplace is highly impactful upon one's mental health in a positive or a negative way. The national standard of Canada for psychological health and safety in the workplace is a tool that's gaining traction with employers across the country—large, medium, and small, both public and private—to change the culture of workplaces and change the psychological factors within workplaces that impact people. Having workplaces that are inclusive, workplaces that accommodate mental illness, whether it's on a short-term or a longer-term basis, is absolutely essential to allowing people to make the most of their abilities and sustain themselves.