Did you know that all Canadians will be affected, directly or indirectly, by mental illness over the course of their lives?
Any time is a good time to find out more about mental health issues. However, we are using Mental Health Week, which runs from May 3 to 9, 2021, as an opportunity to discuss the role you play in this regard.
Current situation
The pandemic has had a major impact on stress and anxiety across Canada. A recent national survey showed that the mental health of 40% of Canadians has deteriorated following the second wave of COVID-19.
The situation was already concerning before the pandemic. Over the last few years, mental health issues have prevented nearly 500,000 employed Canadians from attending work each week. According to the World Health Organization, depression has even become the leading cause of disability worldwide.
For these reasons, it might be a good idea to have a healthy and open dialogue about mental health with the people around you and your clients.
Speak to your clients
When the situation permits during a meeting with a client, you can initiate the discussion by mentioning a few statistics on the topic, such as:
- One in three people will be disabled for 90 days or more at least once before they reach age 65 (source: CLHIA, Guide to Disability Insurance)
- One in seven Canadians are disabled at any given time (Source: Statistics Canada, Commissioners disability table A)
Here are a few points that you can then discuss during your conversation:
- The advantage of having disability insurance and a financial safety net in case of an unexpected mental health issue
- The importance of having access to support in case of illness in order to be able to receive the proper care when necessary
Want to learn more about this issue? Check out the following links:
- CMHA website (Canadian Mental Health Association)
- CAMH website (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)
