New data shows troubling trends when it comes to mental health in Ontario

A new survey put out by the Canadian Mental Health Association found more Ontarians are looking for mental health supports than at any other time during the pandemic.

“The pandemic itself has disrupted all of our lives, it's taken a toll on our emotions, our feelings, our mental health,” said CMHA Sudbury/Manitoulin CEO Patty MacDonald.

“So it’s really important for people to still stay connected to services.”

Accessing those services can be difficult, however, as the healthcare system tries to cope with the two-year-old pandemic. Sudbury’s Health Sciences North recently redeployed more than 100 staff to other departments, including 15 of the 250 staff of the local mental health and addictions program.

“This has resulted in modifications to how services are delivered in some of the program’s outpatient services such as the mood and anxiety program and the outpatient addictions and gambling services,” HSN said in a statement.

“Critical functions related to these services, such as medication support, are being maintained. Staff remain available to respond to telephone calls and brief intervention for those that require urgent support.”

MacDonald said the CMHA is looking to help.

“One of the first stages to doing that is really just looking at do we have any mutual people that we work with, can we help communicate out to individuals that their level of service may change at HSN, and is there anything that we can do as an organization that would assist and provide that additional support,” she said.

Unfortunately, reduced services at the hospital come as new CMHA data out this week shows mental health supports are needed now more than ever.

“We’ve got a survey that says that nearly one in four Ontarians -- and so that is the highest it’s ever been -- have been accessing mental health supports,” said MacDonald.

“What the poll also said was less people were finding the mental health supports helpful and what we feel that this could be reflective of is there are more people that have complex needs and so the complexities and what people are needing is greater now and so the mental health services are not actually meeting those needs.”

She said it’s always concerning when services are being reduced or modified, but knows that it is just a temporary situation.

“We’ve been discussing it within the mental health and addictions sector," MacDonald said.

"We’re all burdened by the same staff shortages and you can only do what you can do. And so, similar to HSN, they are redeploying to what they consider essential right now and they’re hoping that other community agencies, like ourselves, will step up and provide some additional support.”

While things are difficult now, she said this is a chance for the province to spend more on mental health and addiction services.

“I think 79 per cent of Ontarians that completed that survey said that we are on track for a service mental health crisis when the pandemic is over," MacDonald said.

"That is really telling and that has been the story all along and what we’re seeing with the survey results. It’s just that there’s an increased amount now of Ontarians that are feeling that way.”