3-Page Report: Mental Health

“Mental health defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or
her true potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and
fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. The quote above
stated is the average definition of one’s understanding of mental health. Mental health
affects how an individual feels and copes with various challenges throughout their life,
on a daily basis. Whether one is a student or an adult adjusting to adulthood, mental
health has a paramount of importance at every peak and point in your life. If an
individual is a student, they have to be at their best mentally and physically in order to
reach their optimal academic success and meet their goal in life. Unfortunately, mental
health issues now have become the leading cause of disability in Canada. Leaving the
issue unaddressed can result in behavioural and physical problems. Mortality rates and
complications such as this have been linked to the unhappiness and degraded
enjoyment of one’s life. Below I will discuss the main factors mental health issues have
caused and how it has led to the disruption of teens and adults in Canada, facts relating
to that issue and my personal opinion on the matter.

Firstly, in any given year, approximately 1 in 5 Canadians are and have been suffering
with a personal mental health issue. By about age 40, it is predicted that roughly about
50% of the population of Canada will have undergone or had some sort of mental health
issues. There used to be a time when people lived in a society in which everyone could
actively learn, have the ability to express their feelings and manage a range of positive
and negative emotions. This also helps to have the ability to form and maintain good
relationships with each other. Unfortunately, Canada hasn’t been the same since. In
Canada, mental health issues have prevented about nearly 500,000 employed
Canadians from attending work each week. To illustrate, The National Standard of
Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace had a case study from
2014-2017, which demonstrated that 68% of Canadians in the year 2017 required
“return to work” accommodation due to psychological issues. Furthermore, the case
study used surveys to assess existing Canadian employees for mental or psychological
issues. According to the report, 34% of employees were having psychological risks and
have instantaneously grown from previous years. Not only are Canadians suffering from
mental health issues constantly but is having a severe impact on the workforce of
Canada since 2017. Over the next 30 years, the federal government in its efforts will
spend more then $2.5 trillion for mental health-related issues. It is a risk and possibly
will be an effective use of taxpayers’ money.

Mental health has gone far to the point where it has even made teens and adults
contemplating whether suicide is an option. In Canada, 4,012 Canadians died from an
ongoing mental health issue that they felt no one cared for. Many of these people who
had committed suicides were not even 18 yet.  The mass of people who had died had
symptoms before adulthood and didn’t know who to ask for help. About 9% of teenagers
have tried to commit suicide. Our next generation of Canadians are also likely to suffer
from many of these mental health related issues. To add on, a teenager’s mental health
can affect how teenagers are doing academically. For instance, one having a suffering
or bad mental health can lead to one’s behaviour being different or the way they
approach situations. These can lead to the struggle of social interactions in class or
during lunch or even affect the way one may behave in class with their teachers. These
signs of mental health issues are usually prone to those ranging from the age 15 to 18.
Mental health is as stated previously crucial at every stage of one’s life. 

Overall, my personal opinion on the matter is that this controversial topic deserves more
attention as it somehow affects every Canadian citizen. It’ll eventually become worse if
not addressed right away today. Mortality rates, depression and anxiety will reach a
point where it is incurable and common among every child before heading into early
stages of their teenage years. The issue will not resolve by itself, and Canadians need
the assistance of the Canadian government aside from funding. I believe the
governments at all three different levels – federal, provincial, and local - should work
together and develop policies and programs that will help these teenagers suffering
from depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts.