Question Period Note: Mental Health (General)

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KEY MESSAGES
• We are working collaboratively with provinces, territories and stakeholders to support a multi-disciplinary system that will integrate mental health as part of a patient-centred approach to health care so that mental health is supported across the continuum of care from promotion and prevention, to supports, services and treatment.
• The Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians plan provides $200 billion over 10 years to provinces and territories, including $25 billion for shared priorities, including mental health.
• Significant investments through the Youth Mental Health Fund will improve access to care for young people living in Canada.
IF PRESSED
Q1 : If pressed on the Health Transfer to provinces and territories
A1 :
• In 2023-24, the Government established Working Together bilateral agreements with all PTs to deliver new funding available as part of the $25 billion commitment, plus remaining funds from Budget 2017 for mental health and substance use services. Through the initial three year agreement, provinces and territories will receive $3.1 billion annually.
• These investments in patient-centred care support other investments the government is making to provide wrap around supports to Canadians.
Q2 : If pressed on how the government is supporting youth mental health
A2 :
• Our Government recognizes the significant mental health challenges faced by youth and collaborates with provinces, territories, and partners to ensure timely access to supports, to help youth thrive.
• Launched in 2024, the Youth Mental Health Fund (YMHF) will help improve access to care, directly in communities where youth live, study and work.
• Through the YMHF, we are investing in Integrated Youth Services to improve access to care, while supporting research and data to help ensure that youth mental health interventions are evidence-based.
• Additionally, PHAC’s Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund supports community initiatives focusing on children, youth, and caregivers, reaching over 800 communities.
Q3 : If pressed on how the Youth Mental Health Fund (YMHF) is improving youth mental health and the status of the open call for proposals
A3 :
• The YMHF supports expanding Integrated Youth Services (IYS); building capacity of community organizations providing mental health services; and building capacity of mental wellness supports in Indigenous communities.

• To increase access to mental health services for youth, our goal is to have IYS operating in every jurisdiction in the country and we are working closely with provinces and territories on this effort.
• Separately, an open call for proposals received significant interest, underscoring the urgent need for community-based youth mental health services.
• Officials are reviewing applications and will be sharing the results soon.
Q4: If pressed on supporting the mental health of Black Canadians or the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund (MHBC)
A4 :
• Many Black people living in Canada face significant social and economic inequities that have negative implications for their mental health.
• In response to these issues, the Public Health Agency of Canada established the Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund to support Black Canadians to develop more culturally focused knowledge, capacity and programs to improve mental health in their communities.
• Between September 2019 and March 2026, the MHBC Fund will have allocated $18M million to 61 community-led projects to support Black mental health across Canada.
Q5: If pressed on the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline / Suicide Prevention
A5 :
• 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline launched in November 2023, provides suicide prevention support via phone and text, 24/7/365, in English and French.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is providing $177 million from 2023 to 2026 to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to coordinate 9-8-8 alongside 38 local, provincial/territorial, and national lines forming a response network.
• In May 2024, the Government of Canada released its first National Suicide Prevention Action Plan to strengthen Canada’s collective response to suicide through increased collaboration with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners and suicide prevention stakeholders.

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KEY STATS
• Over 1 in 3 Canadians (37%) will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Although 17% of Canadians access professional support for their mental health each year, unmet needs for mental health care remain high: 43% of those who need support report not receiving all the help they need. The economic cost (direct and indirect) associated with mental illness in Canada could be as high as $65 billion each year.
• Youth, Indigenous Peoples and those identifying as 2SLGBTQIA+ are more likely to report that their needs are unmet or partially met, highlighting the need to reduce barriers to care.
• In 2022, there were 4,850 deaths by suicide, which amounts to approximately 13 people dying by suicide every day in Canada. For each of these deaths, another 19 have attempted suicide.