Open Journal Montreal

by Megan Lydon.

for Ms. Bertolotti
English Language Arts- secondary 3
Villa Maria High School
May 17, 2005

Services need to be adapted toward the needs of the people. All people with mental illnesses are worthy of quality services to improve their quality of life and health. More of these services can be provided and improved with more financial assistance. In order for people with mental illnesses to progress in society, the government of Canada needs to provide more financial aid to improve the services for the mentally ill.

Firstly, more financial aid is needed for services because there are increasing cases of people with mental illnesses. According to the Minister of Health and Social Services, “For many years one out of five Canadians would develop a mental illness in their lifetime but today, statistics have risen to one out of three Canadians” (Genest, Leroux 5). The number of cases of people with mental illnesses is on the rise. Also, people are living longer and therefore need services for a longer time frame. Statistics Canada identifies that, “In 1920 the average life expectancy was about 60 years old but today, the average life expectancy is at an all time high of 78 years and rising” (Stats Canada). With increasing cases of mental illness and longer life expectancies, more financial aid is needed to increase service availability.

Secondly, more financial aid is needed for services because in addition to the rising number of new cases, many patients have been deinstitutionalized and, therefore need more services and support. Those who would have been institutionalized are in need of different kinds of services. The people who were hospitalized have different conditions than other mentally ill people. Sheryl Bruce, community worker, believes that, “New services are needed to treat these cases of severe and persistent mental illnesses” (Bruce). Although the government was trying to be cost efficient by deinstitutionalizing, it still needs to provide financial aid for the people who had been institutionalized. Because people have been deinstitutionalized, there are more mentally ill in the community who need social services like day centers, family support groups, and vocational rehab. The government still needs to provide financial aid for this group of people in some form or another. Financial aid for services has not increased proportionally since deinstitutionalization. The government should be prepared to provide adequate services since they have deinstitutionalized many patients.

Thirdly, more financial aid is needed for services to allow them to become more accessible. To begin with, people with mental illnesses generally can’t afford to pay service fees because they live well below the poverty level. Welfare does not provide an adequate allowance, as those on welfare are given a maximum of $750 per month for food, rent, and expenses. Although there are free services there are still not enough to meet the demands in their neighbourhoods. The patients can’t resort to other services like private therapy and private lab tests because they are too costly. With more financial aid, the government can improve the free services and provide more of them, making them more accessible.

Finally, more financial aid is needed for services because if people do not receive the needed services, from lack of financial assistance, they will be lead to do things that will harm themselves and society. With low income and the high cost of services and medications, many mentally ill are confronted with poverty and homelessness. Birgit Ritzhaupt, the coordinator of Ensemble, a community service for the mentally ill, explains that, “60% of the homeless are mentally ill” (Bruce). Perhaps the strongest proof comes from The Welfare Information Network, who assert that “1/4 to 1/3 of welfare recipients have serious mental illnesses” (Mental Health). With lack of services many mentally ill are not able to continue working. The Public Health Agency of Canada states that, “In developed countries mental illness is one of the ten leading causes of disabilities.” (Stats Canada). Ironically, if the mentally ill had better services it is possible that they could find fulfilling employment that would help them pay for their needed services. Because people with mental illnesses are not receiving the needed services to be integrated into the workforce, Canada is losing valuable employees. Thirdly, people with mental illnesses often experience drug and alcohol problems. Many mentally ill resort to drug and alcohol abuse because they are not being treated sufficiently. According to Friends for Mental Health, “20 to 50% of people with mental illnesses have drug and or alcohol problems. These problems can cause patients to regress in their condition or cause the illness.” (Friends for Mental Health 9). Lastly, the mentally ill often resort to suicide or other harmful actions. According to B. A. Robinson:

People with mental illnesses are 10 to 20% more likely to kill themselves. 3% of people with severe depression will commit suicide. 25 to 50% of people with bipolar disease will attempt at least once to kill themselves; 19% will actually do it. 10% of those with schizophrenia will kill themselves; 40% have tried to kill themselves. 10% of people with borderline personalities will commit suicide and 80% will be involved with some sort of self mutilation (Robinson).

More services are needed to prevent these harmful actions. By providing financial aid to improve services, people with mental illnesses would not suffer in these ways and in turn, their health would strengthen our society.

With more financial aid from the government, the services for the mentally ill can be improved. These services can be improved with financial assistance. Many of these services are not as good as they could be. The mentally ill deserve to be treated equally and provided adequate services.

Bibliography:

Genest, Sonia and Johanne Leroux. Surmonter un problème de santé mentale au travail. Québec: The Minister of Health and Social Services, 2000.

Statistics Canada. Life expectancy at birth, by sex, by provinces. [Online] Available “http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/health26.htm” February 2005.

The Welfare Information Network. Mental Health. [Online] Available “http://www.financeprojectinfo.org/win/hard-mental.asp” 2002.

Statistics Canada. Chapter 1 Mental Illnesses in Canada: An Overview. [Online] Available “http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/miic-mmac/chap_1_e.html” October 2002.

Employees of Friends for Mental Health. Coping with Mental Illness Dorval: Friends for Mental Health, 2003.

B.A. Robinson. Suicide among Persons with Mental Illness. [Online] Available “http://www.religioustolerance.org/sui_ment.htm” February 2001.

McIntosh, Diane. Your Health Matters. (6) vols. City unavailable: GlaxoSmithKline, vol. 1-6, year unavailable.

Interview with: Sheryl Bruce, community worker with the mentally ill.

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[ originally posted on Wednesday, August 31st, 2005 at 3:29 pm and is filed under Communication, Everything, Papers. ]