Français | Call Us

Facebook  Linkedin

Login

Western Financial Group
  • Insurance open insurance menu
  • Services open services menu
  • Reviews
  • About Us open menu
  • Contact Us

Find a Broker

Get a Quote

Insurance

Personal Insurance

Car

Home

Renter's

Farm

RV

Boat

Travel

Business Insurance

Start-ups to Mid-size Businesses

Employee Benefits

National Enterprises & Associations

Health & Life

Life

Disability

Critical Illness

Services

Registry Services

Claims

MyWestern

Payment Setup

Reviews

About Us

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Who We Are

Executive Team

Western News

Careers

Divisions

Partners

Sponsors

COVID-19 Info

Blog

Western Communities Foundation

Western Coast Insurance

Western Business Insurance

Wyatt Dowling Insurance

Contact Us

Personal Insurance

Car

Home

Renter's

Travel

Farm

RV

Boat

Business Insurance

Start-ups to Mid-size Businesses

Employee Benefits

National Enterprises & Associations

Health & Life

Life

Disability

Critical Illness

View All Products

Services

Registry Services

Claims

MyWestern

Payment Setup

About Us

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Who We Are

Executive Team

Western News

Careers

Divisions

Partners

Sponsors

COVID-19 Info

Blog

Western Communities Foundation

Western Coast Insurance

Western Business Insurance

Wyatt Dowling Insurance

Western acknowledges World Mental Health Day 2021

Created by the World Federation for Mental Health and recognized by the World Health Organization, October 10 is World Mental Health Day. The goals of World Mental health Day are raising awareness of mental health issues and supporting mental health. It is an opportunity for people working in mental health to talk about their work and how mental health care can become a worldwide reality.

2021 World Mental Health Day theme

The 2021 World Mental Health Day theme is “Mental Health in an Unequal World”. The theme highlights the global problem of unequal access to mental health services. According to World Federation for Mental Health, “access to mental health services remains unequal, with between 75% to 95% of people with mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries unable to access mental health services at all, and access in high income countries is not much better.” Mental Health in an Unequal World will focus on how mental health inequality is perpetuated globally and locally.

Mental health inequality in Canada

Canada is no exception. According to the World Federation for Mental Health, “Lack of investment in mental health disproportionate to the overall health budget contributes to the mental health treatment gap.” On August 4, the Canadian Mental Health Association tweeted “Our current healthcare system is not meeting the needs of people in Canada. Everyone deserves access to a continuum of publicly funded #MentalHealth and #Addictions services." Also, “85% of Canadians think mental health services are among the most underfunded services in our health-care system.

Many people who need treatment for a mental illness do not receive it and experience discrimination and stigma. This affects not only their mental and physical health but also their education and job opportunities, current and future earnings, and families. It can take up to 15 years before effective psychological, medical, and social treatments are available to patients.

People with a physical illness often experience mental health issues. For example, according to the World Federation for Mental Health, of the approximately 2.2 billion people with visual impairment, most also experience depression and/or anxiety, which is worsened when also experiencing adverse economic and social circumstances.

A “dual pandemic” for Indigenous Canadians

Inequality of access to mental health services has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggle of Indigenous Canadians to access mental health services is aptly summed up by this Global News headline: “COVID-19, lack of mental health support creating ‘dual pandemic’ for Indigenous Canadians.” Many Indigenous communities were already in crisis because of mental health, suicide, and addiction and this has been exacerbated by the lack of access to mental health services during the pandemic. Chief Executive Officer of the First Peoples Wellness Centre in north-eastern Ontario, Brenda Restoule, claims that mental health services and supports in Indigenous communities are “consistently underfunded compared to the rest of Canadians, resulting in a patchwork of supports and services that vary across the country. Investments in connectivity, infrastructure, technology, sustained access to virtual care, and human resources must happen more immediately. Otherwise, the gap in health inequity for Indigenous People will continue to grow.”

There are many ways to get involved on World Mental Health Day this year by donating, raising awareness, creating a fundraiser, or volunteering and you can find out more here: https://wfmh.global/be-a-local-champion/
https://www.camh.ca/en/get-involved

GET A QUOTE

Recent Blog Posts

How to Build a Treehouse with the Kids
How to Build a Treehouse with the Kids

June 2, 2023


First Time car insurance in Alberta
First Time Car Insurance in Alberta - How to Save On Your First Car

June 2, 2023


 How Western’s Pride ERG Brings Us Together
How Western's Pride ERG Brings Us Together

June 1, 2023


Call Us

Sales
Personal Insurance

1-866-860-1958

Business Insurance

1-866-860-1947

Life Insurance

1-888-594-3105

General Inquiries
and Services

1-866-245-2779
Mon-Fri: 8am-8 pm MT
Sat: 9am-6 pm MT

Claims

1-866-245-2779
Mon-Fri: 7:30am-4 pm MT
Sat: 9am-6 pm MT

1-877-599-7299
(After Hours)

Western Financial

About

Our Story

Executive Team

Careers

MyWestern Login

Mergers and Acquisition

Western Communities Foundation

Western News | Sitemap

Products & Services

All Insurance

Personal Insurance

Business Insurance

Health Insurance

Award Winning Brokerage

IBC Top Brokerage Top 100 Seal 2023  Top 100 Seal 2022

Privacy / Legal  |   Accessibility Guidelines |   Fair Treatment of Customers Policy |   Terms of Use  |   Compensation Disclosure  |  Whistle-Blower Policy |   Complaints Process  |   Media Relations  |   Sitemap


2020 Western Financial Group. All rights reserved.

2023 Western Financial Group. All rights reserved.