Mental Health Awareness Day!
Myths and Facts about Mental Illness! Mental health affects 1 in 5 Canadians… Myth: Bipolar […]
Myths and Facts about Mental Illness!
Mental health affects 1 in 5 Canadians…
Myth: Bipolar disorder is just another name for mood Swings…
Fact: Bipolar disorder is a serious illness with severe mood swings that interfere with one’s functioning and can lead to suicide.
Myth: Bipolar disorder is Rare
Fact: Bipolar spectrum disorders affect almost 4% of the population during their lifetime…
Check out this link to some beautiful poetry about how some are dealing with Mental health…
Mental Health Poetry
Mental health and mental illness in Canada
• Mental illness affects more than six million people across the country, or one in five
Canadians.
• The burden of mental illnesses and addictions in Ontario is more than 1.5 times the burden
of all cancers, and seven times the burden of all infectious diseases. But mental health is
not funded anywhere close to physical health.
• Mental illnesses can be treated effectively. But we need to put greater focus on eliminating
the stigma or discrimination attached to mental illnesses so that people will feel comfortable
seeking help.
• Nearly half of those who feel they have suffered from depression or anxiety, for example,
have never gone to see a doctor about this problem.
What is the economic cost?
• The economic cost of mental health problems and illnesses to the Canadian economy is at
least $50 billion per year.
• Health care, social services and income support costs make up the biggest proportion of
these costs.
• In any given week, 500,000 Canadians will miss work because of a mental health issue.
• Lost productivity, including absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover, cost business more
than $6 billion in 2011.
