SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Mental Health Week
May 8, 2019
Honourable senators, I rise today to recognize Mental Health Week in Canada. Slowly but surely, we as a society are realizing the importance of taking care of our mental health. We know that our mental well-being is equal to that of our physical well-being, and that a fracture in one can result in problems for the other.
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of this awakening are the many people, including well-known actors, athletes, writers and politicians who are speaking about their own struggles with poor mental health. This has helped tremendously in removing the stigma that has been associated with difficulties related to mental health.
We know that 20 per cent of Canadians — that is one in five people — will suffer from poor mental health at some point in their lives. The struggle can last from two weeks to two months or two years, and in some cases it may be something that a person works with for the rest of their lives. If we also consider the impact on friends and family, it is easy to see that mental health touches the lives of most Canadians.
Honourable senators, we are not always aware of what other people are dealing with in their personal lives. We know people in our families, workplaces and neighbourhoods who are living with poor mental health. It is important that we learn to support those who may need our help.
There are a number of organizations and groups that are doing their part to end the stigma of mental illness and to offer help. Here, in the Senate, we have the Senate Mental Health Advisory Committee with a mental health web page on IntraSen.
I would also like to highlight an event taking place here in Ottawa on Saturday, May 11. It is called Darkness Into Light. It is a 5-kilometre walk/run for self-harm and suicide awareness and prevention. It is an early-morning experience that begins in the darkness at 5:00 am, as people walk or run a 5-kilometre route while dawn is breaking. It is a powerful experience that reminds us that no one walks alone and that it is possible to move from despair to hope, from darkness into light. The event will be taking place at Britannia Park. All funds go to support the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa, which offers various services and immediate support, including mental health services to thousands of youth in crisis. I want to thank the organizers and participants of Darkness Into Light events that are taking place across the country.
Honourable senators, during Mental Health Week, I would also like to recognize the work that has been done by our colleague Senator Dr. Kutcher in the field of adolescent mental health. Senator Kutcher is a leader in mental health research, training and policy. He has been recognized as a Champion of Mental Health by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health. He has received the Order of Nova Scotia and the Naomi Rae-Grant Award from the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. As Senator Coyle told us last week, Senator Kutcher recently received his honourary doctorate from StFX. University for his work in mental health.
Honourable senators, let us all continue to work to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Let us be proactive and protective in the care of our mental well-being and make mental health a deliberate part of our self-care routine. Thank you.
Honourable senators, I too rise today in joining Senator Cordy to recognize and support Mental Health Week.
As many of you know, the terms “mental health” and “mental illness” are often mistakenly used interchangeably. It is important to make a distinction between the two.
Like physical health, mental health is a state of well-being that we all need to cultivate on a daily basis.
Mental illness, on the other hand, comes in many forms, ranging from anxiety, eating, bipolar, and obsessive-compulsive disorders, to depression, phobias, autism, PTSD, and schizophrenia, among others.
It is important to note that mental illness does not discriminate: It can affect anyone, at any age, of all socio-economic backgrounds and walks of life and can have significant impacts on one’s well-being.
As I look across this chamber, I’m sure that all of us, my dear colleagues, have been impacted in one way or another by mental health issues in our lives.
That’s why I believe it’s vital to fight the stigma by speaking out about mental health, not just during Mental Health Week, but year-round.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada was created in response to the Senate report Out of the Shadows at Last, which developed a Framework for Action in Advancing the Mental Health Strategy for Canada.
Our colleague who just spoke, Senator Cordy, was among the senators on the Social Affairs Committee at that time. Senators Dyck and Mercer also participated in this meaningful study.
I wish to also recognize the continuing advocacy of Senators Munson, Bernard and Housakos, and my seat mate, Senator Kutcher, an expert in the field, as we have just heard.
Colleagues, great progress has been made in addressing mental health issues and illness. It is not enough though; much more needs to be done.
To this end, we have had some modest but important developments recently in the Senate. This august institution is not immune from mental health concerns.
A Senate Mental Health Advisory Committee has recently been struck, compromised of administration employees and senators’ staff with the active participation of Senators Kutcher, Rob Black and myself.
You may have encountered some of the committee members outside the cafeteria yesterday and today. The committee aims to reduce stigma on mental health and suggest ways forward for all of us.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for your ongoing interest in the committee’s activities and for being a champion for mental health. The committee is in its infancy so it will certainly require and deserve enthusiastic support from all of us.
Colleagues, mental health, our psychological well-being must be a concern for all Canadians. It is the duty of each and every Canadian to change the conversation about mental illness and mental health in order to put an end to the stigma. It is our duty as parliamentarians to ensure that we lead the way. Thank you.
