The State of Child and Youth Mental Health in Canada: Past Problems and Future Fantasies

Berezin (1978), a geriatric psychiatrist from Harvard, says that as we get older, our personality does not change, it just gets more so!How can it be then, that in 2010, despite the best efforts of many, the state of child and youth mental health in Canada is unknown to countless people?How can it be that despite the fact that nothing has changed for years, except to get more so, few know about the plight of Canadian child and youth mental health services?How can it be that in Ontario, politicians, regardless of political party (all parties have been in power at some time during the past 20 years), have known the facts about child and youth mental health and have effectively turned a blind eye?It is a shameful state of affairs that makes one wonder how much our society really cares about the well-being of our children and youth.There is too much meaningless rhetoric, especially from politicians: "Our children and youth are our future!"This is talk that has never been walked.And, yet, if we were to make the relatively modest financial investments required to ensure that the physical and mental health of our children and youth were as good as possible, we would have a much better chance of maximizing their potential, of reducing stress in their lives and their families, of optimizing their life trajectory, of improving the calibre of the workforce in Canada and, ultimately, of improving the physical and mental health among the Canadian population as a whole.It makes imminent good sense; yet, our leaders continue to turn a blind eye!Perhaps it is because improving the health of our children and youth will take many years, whereas politicians often focus on their brief tenure and securing their next term of office.As well, children and youth simply do not have a vote.Recently, in Ontario, there has been a considerable focus on mental health and addictions across the lifespan.Essentially, there are two initiatives simultaneously under way (not necessarily matching up, although the recommendations are similar in several areas).The first derives from the recently released report of the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions (Legislative Assembly of Ontario 2010).This committee is made up of members of all political parties.In essence, the committee endorses what many of us have said for years.There is no system of mental health services across the lifespan in Ontario; the committee recommends that all mental health services (including child and youth services) be funded out of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and that there be an overarching agency similar to Cancer Care Ontario to implement the mental health strategy for the province.The mission for the proposed Mental Health and Addictions Ontario is to reduce the burden of mental illness and addictions by ensuring that all Ontario residents have timely and equitable access to an integrated system of excellent, coordinated and efficient promotion, prevention, early intervention, treatment and community support programs.MOHLTC has simultaneously been working on a 10-year mental health addictions strategy titled Every Door The State of Child and Youth Mental Health in Canada:where we are and where we need to be Past Problems and Future Fantasies

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