The increase in federal health transfers to the provinces will be held to 3% this year instead of 6% - a cost-saving measure the government is keeping as negotiations for another health-care accord go on. Many provinces and territories have been frustrated by the lack of flexibility from the federal government, objecting the base 3% increase in health transfrers.
Recently, members of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, a coalition of 16 organizations, are urging the federal government to immediately commit more resources to supporting mental illness.
According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, 1 in 5 Canadians suffers from some form of mental illness each year. About 70% of young adults living with mental health problems report the symptoms started in childhood. Nearly 1/3 of all hospital stays in Canada are due to mental disorders.
The mental health coalition released a five-point plan this fall of what it says can and should be done now. It includes providing n additional $777.5 million a year to improve access; creating a five-year, $100-million Mental Health Innovation Fund; and expanding public health insurance coverage to include treatment by psychologists and therapists so patients and their families.
The federal government is showing a willingness to sign a longer-term health accord with the provinces. There may be an additional $3 billion on health care spending over a 4 years period, with a priority on better mental health care.
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