Don’t Take Chances with your Mental Health

Mental illness has been referred to as the invisible disease as it is still surrounded by social stigma among Canadians.

Your mental health is as important as your physical health. One in five Canadians (6.7 million) suffer from a mental health issue, a fact that costs the economy over $50 billion a year. In most cases, a mental health condition will reveal itself before the age of 24, affecting individuals in their prime working years.

About 3,500 Canadians fall under suicide-related deaths; it’s the second leading cause of death for young Canadians. Canada is the only G7 country without a national mental health strategy. Last year, Parliament passed Bill C-300 which imposes the task on Ottawa to come up with a plan to combat suicide. Partners for Mental Health would like to see the government invest $100-million over the next four years towards educating teens and crisis intervention.

Because there is an element of shame attached to mental illness, many victims go undiagnosed and suffer silently, and others self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. One of the biggest problems is that, unless you have a private health insurance plan, you can remain on a waiting list upwards to a year before receiving counselling after a diagnosis.

Going through the public health care system can be a trying ordeal. A private health insurance plan can not only help reduce costs when continual medication is necessary, which is often the case with mental illness, but it can also diminish the waiting time for counselling sessions. It can ensure you seeing a doctor of your choice and getting quality treatment when you need it. 

When your mental health is at stake, you want to get diagnosed promptly; if prescription medication is needed, you want to begin treatment in conjunction with therapy as soon as possible.

Health Insurance Plans in Canada