Mr. Speaker, one in three Canadians will experience a mental illness or substance use disorder, or SUD, in his or her lifetime. Shockingly, more than 10 Canadians die by suicide each day. Suicide rates of indigenous youth in Canada are among the highest in the world. More than half of Canadian adults, and almost half of Canadian youth, say they cannot cope with unexpected difficult problems and day-to-day demands. Many people suffer in silence.
World Mental Health Day provides each of us with an opportunity to pause and reflect on the importance of mental health and how we can help those living with mental illness. That is why it is so important to recognize World Mental Health Day each year on October 10.
I encourage the government to officially designate October 10 as World Mental Health Day in Canada through resolution or legislation.
I thank advocates like Carol Todd for their tireless efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues.