We’ve all heard about the mind/body connection.
Psychiatrist Dr. Chris Wilkes likes to put a finer point on it.
“There is no health without mental health,” Wilkes says, explaining that it is profoundly connected to our physical health and overall well-being.
He’s got the numbers to prove that poor mental health equals poor physical health — and therefore a huge cost to our health-care system.
Wilkes and a group of other Calgary researchers recently published a paper in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry that found Calgarians living with a psychiatric diagnosis cost Alberta’s health-care system three times more for physical (non-psychiatric) health care than those without a diagnosis.
A year ago, the same journal published a study reporting that a person with a mental health diagnosis had a 70 per cent increase in mortality.
“And it wasn’t through suicide; it was through things like diabetes, cancer, heart disease,” says Wilkes.
“There is a health care problem associated with mental health diagnoses.”
Indeed, mental illness costs the Canadian economy an estimated $51 billion annually in terms of health care and lost productivity, according to 2003 figures from Statistics Canada. It’s the No. 1 cause of disability in Canada, with 500,000 Canadians absent from work every day due to psychiatric problems.
Fully 46 per cent of Albertans will be directly or indirectly affected by depression and, according to the World Health Organization, depression will be the single biggest medical burden on health care by 2020.
Typically we think of mental health problems as something that happen to other people and to other people’s kids.
But Dr. Frank MacMaster, a pediatric neurobiologist at Alberta Children’s Hospital, points out how prevalent mental health issues are: “One in five Canadians have a mental illness and four out of five know someone with a mental illness. It’s touching everybody, basically. Most people may not recognize it, but someone in their life does have it. It’s extremely common.”
If you have a brain, the Canadian Mental Health Association likes to say, you can have a mental disorder.
Even if you or your child don’t have mental health issues, “it’s everybody’s problem,” says George Ghitan, executive director, Hull Child and Family Services.
“Angry, unhappy kids become angry, unhappy adults. Mental health issues cost our society billions of dollars, not just in terms of health, but in terms of education services, justice and prisons. Where do you think these problems come from? Most of them start in childhood.”
Mental health experts call for more funding targeted at children and youth as a way to prevent, catch and treat problems early, thereby saving precious health care dollars and untold pain and suffering that can last a lifetime.
In September, the Alberta government unveiled plans to improve mental health services in the province — a full three years after an auditor-general’s report harshly criticized the system for its lengthy waits, lack of co-ordination between departments and agencies, and the need for better standards of care.
Psychiatrist Dr. Chris Wilkes likes to put a finer point on it.
“There is no health without mental health,” Wilkes says, explaining that it is profoundly connected to our physical health and overall well-being.
He’s got the numbers to prove that poor mental health equals poor physical health — and therefore a huge cost to our health-care system.
Wilkes and a group of other Calgary researchers recently published a paper in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry that found Calgarians living with a psychiatric diagnosis cost Alberta’s health-care system three times more for physical (non-psychiatric) health care than those without a diagnosis.
A year ago, the same journal published a study reporting that a person with a mental health diagnosis had a 70 per cent increase in mortality.
“And it wasn’t through suicide; it was through things like diabetes, cancer, heart disease,” says Wilkes.
“There is a health care problem associated with mental health diagnoses.”
Indeed, mental illness costs the Canadian economy an estimated $51 billion annually in terms of health care and lost productivity, according to 2003 figures from Statistics Canada. It’s the No. 1 cause of disability in Canada, with 500,000 Canadians absent from work every day due to psychiatric problems.
Fully 46 per cent of Albertans will be directly or indirectly affected by depression and, according to the World Health Organization, depression will be the single biggest medical burden on health care by 2020.
Typically we think of mental health problems as something that happen to other people and to other people’s kids.
But Dr. Frank MacMaster, a pediatric neurobiologist at Alberta Children’s Hospital, points out how prevalent mental health issues are: “One in five Canadians have a mental illness and four out of five know someone with a mental illness. It’s touching everybody, basically. Most people may not recognize it, but someone in their life does have it. It’s extremely common.”
If you have a brain, the Canadian Mental Health Association likes to say, you can have a mental disorder.
Even if you or your child don’t have mental health issues, “it’s everybody’s problem,” says George Ghitan, executive director, Hull Child and Family Services.
“Angry, unhappy kids become angry, unhappy adults. Mental health issues cost our society billions of dollars, not just in terms of health, but in terms of education services, justice and prisons. Where do you think these problems come from? Most of them start in childhood.”
Mental health experts call for more funding targeted at children and youth as a way to prevent, catch and treat problems early, thereby saving precious health care dollars and untold pain and suffering that can last a lifetime.
In September, the Alberta government unveiled plans to improve mental health services in the province — a full three years after an auditor-general’s report harshly criticized the system for its lengthy waits, lack of co-ordination between departments and agencies, and the need for better standards of care.
Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Gene Zwozdesky acknowledges the need for faster and better access mental health services.
“Right now people aren’t getting these service to the degree we would like; we want to ensure they do.”
He says the first year of Alberta’s new five-year addiction and mental health strategy is focused on a review of all the services out there — government, government-funded agencies and community organizations.
“Then we want to see how these services are or are not complementing each other. Is there duplication? Thirdly, we want to identify where and how we might have to move resources around to support better and more effective services,” says Zwozdesky.
“There needs to be an important shift in mental health services going forward. We’re going to continue what we’re doing in the acute care system, but we know we have to engage the community — schools, workplaces, organizations, places where people work and play — in a much better way. Our first direction in this strategy is building healthy, resilient communities because no government can do this alone.”
A whole community, holistic approach
The children’s mental health system is the proverbial canary in the coal mine, says Wilkes, an associate professor at the University of Calgary and the former division chief of child and adolescent psychiatry for Alberta Health Services.
“It’s a reflection of the general social supports, which includes schools, access to family doctors, access to recreational activities. If those social supports are not available, then the situation deteriorates for children generally.”
He says it’s essential for health care professionals, schools, communities and parents to work together to improve the mental wellness of our children and youth.
There a few bright spots where this whole community, holistic approach is beginning to happen.
Case in point: Because psychiatrists see about only 1.5 per cent of the children and adolescent population needing specialized care — usually the most severe cases in crisis — family doctors, pediatricians, school counsellors and others are left picking up the pieces, often without adequate funding or training. Wilkes says family doctors typically receive only about six weeks’ of training in psychiatry in medical school.
To change this, Dr. Peter Jensen, a world-renowned child psychiatrist from the REACH Institute in the U.S., was recently in Calgary to train faculty in the U of C’s department of psychiatry so they in turn can teach primary care doctors — who may have just seven to 10 minutes with a patient — to do quick assessments and initiate treatments for kids with mental health problems.
“Children can be seen, treated, advised and guided before things get into such a desperate situation that there’s an emergency,” says Wilkes.
The Eating Disorder Clinic at Alberta Children’s Hospital is another holistic example.
Eating disorders are considered a mental health issue — a complex, difficult one in which those who struggle with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa may also battle depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, addictions and more, says Jodie Cossette, a recreational therapist with the clinic.
“Right now people aren’t getting these service to the degree we would like; we want to ensure they do.”
He says the first year of Alberta’s new five-year addiction and mental health strategy is focused on a review of all the services out there — government, government-funded agencies and community organizations.
“Then we want to see how these services are or are not complementing each other. Is there duplication? Thirdly, we want to identify where and how we might have to move resources around to support better and more effective services,” says Zwozdesky.
“There needs to be an important shift in mental health services going forward. We’re going to continue what we’re doing in the acute care system, but we know we have to engage the community — schools, workplaces, organizations, places where people work and play — in a much better way. Our first direction in this strategy is building healthy, resilient communities because no government can do this alone.”
A whole community, holistic approach
The children’s mental health system is the proverbial canary in the coal mine, says Wilkes, an associate professor at the University of Calgary and the former division chief of child and adolescent psychiatry for Alberta Health Services.
“It’s a reflection of the general social supports, which includes schools, access to family doctors, access to recreational activities. If those social supports are not available, then the situation deteriorates for children generally.”
He says it’s essential for health care professionals, schools, communities and parents to work together to improve the mental wellness of our children and youth.
There a few bright spots where this whole community, holistic approach is beginning to happen.
Case in point: Because psychiatrists see about only 1.5 per cent of the children and adolescent population needing specialized care — usually the most severe cases in crisis — family doctors, pediatricians, school counsellors and others are left picking up the pieces, often without adequate funding or training. Wilkes says family doctors typically receive only about six weeks’ of training in psychiatry in medical school.
To change this, Dr. Peter Jensen, a world-renowned child psychiatrist from the REACH Institute in the U.S., was recently in Calgary to train faculty in the U of C’s department of psychiatry so they in turn can teach primary care doctors — who may have just seven to 10 minutes with a patient — to do quick assessments and initiate treatments for kids with mental health problems.
“Children can be seen, treated, advised and guided before things get into such a desperate situation that there’s an emergency,” says Wilkes.
The Eating Disorder Clinic at Alberta Children’s Hospital is another holistic example.
Eating disorders are considered a mental health issue — a complex, difficult one in which those who struggle with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa may also battle depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, addictions and more, says Jodie Cossette, a recreational therapist with the clinic.
The intensive treatment program for patients ages 14 and up takes a multidisciplinary approach. Dietitians, family counsellors, occupational therapists, pediatricians, family doctors, psychiatrists, recreational therapists, registered nurses, social workers and teachers all work with the patient and his or her family to address the problems underpinning eating disorders.
Typically, patients are high achievers trying to excel in sports, school and work. They struggle with perfectionism, and the focus becomes hatred of their own bodies.
“We encourage them to focus on the mind/body connection with things like yoga and meditation because the eating disorder — self-hatred — works hard to keep body and mind separate.”
Patients learn how to care for themselves mentally, physically and spiritually. They do art, music and horticultural therapy. Tending plants in the healing gardens on ACH grounds puts them in touch with nature.
“My role is help them explore ways to find inner peace and calm. Perhaps it’s spending time in nature, being in the mountains, interacting with animals or gardening. It’s looking at activities that have the opportunity for healing, strengthening and empowering.”
Developing healthy coping skills helps insulate children and youth against mental health problems, she says, something that ideally starts at home with parents modelling healthy behaviours: caring for themselves and making time for rest and play in our go-go world.
Communities can also play a big role when it comes to promoting overall health and wellness, says Cossette. She recalls hearing Graham Clyne, a child and youth advocate, champion the idea of having recreation centres open and free to provide positive, healthy outlets for kids after school.
Two years ago, the Calgary AfterSchool program began offering quality, supervised and free after-school programs for all Calgary children ages six to 16, Mondays to Fridays between 3 and 6 p.m.
It’s run by the City of Calgary in partnership with 14 agencies and is paid for by Family & Community Support Services, a joint municipal/provincial program that develops and funds preventive social services.
In two years, more than 13,000 kids have participated in 181 programs doing sports, drama, arts, crafts, recreation and more, says Cathie Christenson, the co-ordinator of Calgary AfterSchool. Healthy snacks are included.
Six City of Calgary recreation facilities — Killarney, Southland, Thornhill, Bob Bahan, Village Square and Beltline — offer free drop in for older kids, ages 11 to 16; they can swim, try their hand at photography or cooking or get help with homework.
The programs are designed to give kids a fun, creative and safe environment where they can make friends, spend time with caring adults, build social and other skills, and stay out of trouble during what is often an unsupervised time while parents are working, says Christenson.
Typically, patients are high achievers trying to excel in sports, school and work. They struggle with perfectionism, and the focus becomes hatred of their own bodies.
“We encourage them to focus on the mind/body connection with things like yoga and meditation because the eating disorder — self-hatred — works hard to keep body and mind separate.”
Patients learn how to care for themselves mentally, physically and spiritually. They do art, music and horticultural therapy. Tending plants in the healing gardens on ACH grounds puts them in touch with nature.
“My role is help them explore ways to find inner peace and calm. Perhaps it’s spending time in nature, being in the mountains, interacting with animals or gardening. It’s looking at activities that have the opportunity for healing, strengthening and empowering.”
Developing healthy coping skills helps insulate children and youth against mental health problems, she says, something that ideally starts at home with parents modelling healthy behaviours: caring for themselves and making time for rest and play in our go-go world.
Communities can also play a big role when it comes to promoting overall health and wellness, says Cossette. She recalls hearing Graham Clyne, a child and youth advocate, champion the idea of having recreation centres open and free to provide positive, healthy outlets for kids after school.
Two years ago, the Calgary AfterSchool program began offering quality, supervised and free after-school programs for all Calgary children ages six to 16, Mondays to Fridays between 3 and 6 p.m.
It’s run by the City of Calgary in partnership with 14 agencies and is paid for by Family & Community Support Services, a joint municipal/provincial program that develops and funds preventive social services.
In two years, more than 13,000 kids have participated in 181 programs doing sports, drama, arts, crafts, recreation and more, says Cathie Christenson, the co-ordinator of Calgary AfterSchool. Healthy snacks are included.
Six City of Calgary recreation facilities — Killarney, Southland, Thornhill, Bob Bahan, Village Square and Beltline — offer free drop in for older kids, ages 11 to 16; they can swim, try their hand at photography or cooking or get help with homework.
The programs are designed to give kids a fun, creative and safe environment where they can make friends, spend time with caring adults, build social and other skills, and stay out of trouble during what is often an unsupervised time while parents are working, says Christenson.
They’re also aimed at helping kids develop resiliency and coping skills, and at combatting isolation.
“Kids who spent a lot of time alone tend to develop depressive traits,” says Christenson. “The outcomes we’re looking for around friendships and social skills are ones that extend throughout your life.
“They help keep you on the positive side of life.”
Finally, there’s another bright spot on the horizon: in September 2016, Calgary will host the 22nd International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions World Congress.
Light up the Night Sky is the theme for the biannual event described as the “mental health Olympics for children” that lets professionals from around the world share knowledge about children’s mental health
“It’s great opportunity for Calgary to be directly involved and creating change within our community, within our province and within Canada — to be a beacon, a leader round the world,” says Cossette, who sits on a local organizing committee for the event.
“And it’s a golden opportunity to shine a light on the issues of kids’ mental health.”
“Kids who spent a lot of time alone tend to develop depressive traits,” says Christenson. “The outcomes we’re looking for around friendships and social skills are ones that extend throughout your life.
“They help keep you on the positive side of life.”
Finally, there’s another bright spot on the horizon: in September 2016, Calgary will host the 22nd International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions World Congress.
Light up the Night Sky is the theme for the biannual event described as the “mental health Olympics for children” that lets professionals from around the world share knowledge about children’s mental health
“It’s great opportunity for Calgary to be directly involved and creating change within our community, within our province and within Canada — to be a beacon, a leader round the world,” says Cossette, who sits on a local organizing committee for the event.
“And it’s a golden opportunity to shine a light on the issues of kids’ mental health.”
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