Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thank all of the witnesses for their presentations. They have explained very well how poverty can lead to mental health issues, and conversely, how mental health issues can lead to poverty.
Ms. Romano, thank you for your statement. It is always interesting to establish new definitions and to see that we are not reinventing the wheel. The World Health Organization has already documented these things very well.
As you pointed out, we have to remember the obvious, for instance the importance of understanding risk factors properly, whether it be poverty, inadequate housing, the difficulty of finding a job or being able to get an education; however, there are sometimes contradictions regarding these issues. I was surprised by a statistic showing that persons with higher levels of education were at greater risk. Information can sometimes raise questions.
You also said that it is important to look at root causes, because it is often tempting to only address the consequences. In the short term, we deal with the consequences, but as long as we do not deal with the causes of a problem, we will not solve it.
This leads in to my comments for the representatives of the Department of Health. Unfortunately, crises often remind us of the fundamentals, such as how to intervene, best practices, and long-acknowledged methods we need to implement. Unfortunately, crises are what remind us that we have to invest in this regard.
You concluded by speaking about the importance of constant, progressive co-operation, but it seems that there always have to be crises in order for us to remember that. I would like to hear you on the balance there should be between prevention and the necessary reactions to crisis situations. How can we be present on a daily basis in aboriginal communities, rather than waiting for a crisis to erupt before we decide to invest more? I need to hear what you have to say about this necessary balance.