opinion: 'little platoons' could help mental health

while it is easy to be cynical about politicians’ mental health promises, o’toole has a long-standing commitment to mental health. he is a co-founder of the true patriot love foundation , which supports mental health programs for veterans; and is also a co-founder of the lieutenant colonel sam sharpe veterans mental health breakfast , which raises awareness of mental health issues on parliament hill.

of course, the provinces have responsibility for the formal mental health care system such as psychiatric hospitals and specialist mental health clinics. these formal services are essential for the stabilization of people with mental illness, especially during psychiatric crisis and its immediate aftermath. however some research indicates that such formal services are less effective in fostering long-term recovery and rehabilitation, as they tend to offer a narrow ‘one size fits all’ solution based on psychiatric medication.

this orientation has concerned mental health advocates, as evidence suggests that there are different modalities of healing in the face of mental health issues, with preferences typically varying by gender, ethnicity, age and other demographic variables. this means that the provision of choice is essential to a comprehensive mental health care system, and opens up a space for federal funding of local programs.

such choice is often found outside the formal provincially-funded mental health care system among the non-profit sector, often in locally-grounded community-driven mental health programs that sometimes focus on underserved and hard-to-reach populations. such programs come in different shapes and sizes and include a variety of options such as peer support services , recovery colleges , clubhouses , men’s sheds , psychosocial rehabilitation centres , ecotherapies , drop-in centres , and faith-based interventions .

all of these serve particular needs, with some providing a listening ear, others offering help finding a job, which others impart useful self-help skills. importantly, there is a growing evidence showing that these programs can be effective in bolstering the immediate mental wellness of people with common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, as well as fostering the long-term recovery and rehabilitation of people with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

in thinking about new mental health policy and potential funding opportunities, parliamentarians should prioritize action and support focused on these non-profit sector programs, which have often evolved organically to ably serve their communities in a focused and engaging manner.