Wednesday, June 08, 2005

A Public Health Strategy to Improve the Mental Health of Canadian Children  Review paper in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry - "Mental health problems are the leading health problems that Canadian children currently face after infancy. At any given time, 14% of children aged 4 to 17 years (over 800 000 in Canada) experience mental disorders that cause significant distress and impairment at home, at school, and in the community. Fewer than 25% of these children receive specialized treatment services. Without effective prevention or treatment, childhood problems often lead to distress and impairment throughout adulthood, with significant costs for society. Children’s mental health has not received the public policy attention that is warranted by recent epidemiologic data. To address the neglect of children’s mental health, a new national strategy is urgently needed. Here, we review the research evidence and suggest the following 4 public policy goals: promote healthy development for all children, prevent mental disorders to reduce the number of children affected, treat mental disorders more effectively to reduce distress and impairment, and monitor outcomes to ensure the effective and efficient use of public resources. Taken together, these goals constitute a public health strategy to improve the mental health of Canadian children..." See also Challenges Facing Child Psychiatry in Quebec at the Dawn of the 21st Century in the same issue, in PDF format.  
  

Time is now for national strategy on mental health and mental illness (Canada) Canada Newswire press release - "At a news conference in Ottawa today, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) commended Steven Fletcher, MP, the Official Opposition Health Critic, and the Conservative Party of Canada for their support in pressuring the federal government to establish and implement a Pan-Canadian Strategy on Mental Health and Mental Illness. Both Mr. Fletcher and the CMHA issued a strong reminder that Canada is the only G-8 country without such a strategy. ...  In a motion in the House of Commons today, Mr. Fletcher will call upon the federal government to: 'immediately develop and initiate a comprehensive national strategy on mental illness and mental health...' In recent weeks, the CMHA met with dozens of Senators and Members of Parliament from all major federal parties to elevate support for the critical need to establish and implement such a strategy." See also Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health Applauds Call for National Strategy on Mental Illness and Mental Health.