QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Rural Economic Development
Mental Health Services
December 1, 2022
Minister Hutchings, thank you for appearing in the Red Chamber today.
We know that mental health challenges affect people of all ages, education, income levels and culture. In any given year, one in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness.
We also know that rural communities often have issues accessing many services, including health care. In many cases, mental health-related services and supports in rural communities are less comprehensive, less available and less accessible than in urban areas.
Certainly, I look at issues through an agricultural and rural lens. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight the fact that according to statistics from the Ontario branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, 68% of farmers are more susceptible than the general population to chronic stress, which can lead to physical and mental illnesses; 58% of farmers meet the classifications for anxiety; and 45% of farmers report high stress.
Many Canadians work in rural and agriculture-adjacent sectors. Minister, can you highlight what steps your government has taken to address the lack of access to mental health services in rural Canada?
Senator Black, that is an amazing question and it follows on your colleague’s question as well.
It is interesting, too. One of the round tables that I have done was with the agricultural sector, and they brought that specific thing up. It has been challenging times. They have seen floods, and they have seen droughts. Interestingly, with the hurricane that hit in my riding, mental health supports were needed there at that time to get people through the shock of seeing 100-foot waves. The province did a great job of transporting people from major centres to the rural centres. But that was an awakening, too, that this needs to be addressed in rural Canada. Sadly, often it takes a disaster or catastrophe for us to work on these issues. I talk regularly with Minister Bennett on how we address this.
I had a great chat when I was in rural Manitoba earlier this year. I sat down with a group of kids whose specialty in their high school and their post-secondary school is how we address the rural issues of mental care.
It is on my radar, sir. I will continue to work with Minister Bennett and keep you posted as to our progress and support you in any way I can.
