Mr. Speaker, today my colleague from across the aisle, the representative from Edmonton Riverbend, as well as the Mental Health Commission of Canada and I, hosted an event commemorating Men's Health Week and Father's Day, highlighting the mental health crisis facing men in our country.
In Canada, 80% of those who take their own life are men, real men in a real crisis, who are unable to recognize their own struggle, to speak to and confide in those who love them, and to seek the support and treatment they need.
When diagnosing mental illness, we are better equipped and more comfortable identifying the signifiers more commonly presented by women than the signifiers of internal struggle by men. Men are more likely to lose their social circle as they age, and less likely to speak to their family about their own mental health issues.
Together, we heard the stories of those who struggle, connected with experts, and created a strong dialogue on the issue of mental health for men. I thank all those members who joined us at this reception.