Evidence Network

Mental health therapies should be fully funded by medicare

Publicly funding comprehensive treatment for depression is cost-effective   Could we be doing more to prevent suicide in Canada?  The answer is an unmitigated, yes. Access to timely and appropriate interventions for depression, including drug therapy and psychotherapy,can significantly improve health outcomes and reduce the number of deaths by suicide. Yet these needs are not […]

Ending Homelessness in Canada

Dr. Jino Distasio of the University of Winnipeg discusses the systemic problems that contribute to homelessness in Canada — and the local and national efforts required to stop the revolving door of homelessness.   Photo Credit: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Homelessness costs Canadians big money without addressing the causes

It’s time we put Housing First   For most of his life, Murray Barr was an ordinary American until everything changed abruptly when his story of personal tragedy and period of homelessness created a media frenzy.  It was in his article, “Million Dollar Murray,” that Malcolm Gladwell turned homelessness into a celebrity cause by illustrating […]

Rising rates of long-term prescription-opioid use highlight urgent need for treatment options for chronic pain and addiction

Across Canada, the tragic spike in opioid-related deaths has brought to national attention the large and complex issue of drug use and misuse.

Stemming the tide of death after release from jails and prisons in Canada

The tragic stories of Ashley Smith, Edward Snowshoe and other inmates who have died while in Canadian correctional facilities have rightly made headlines around the country.

Assisted suicide for those with mental illness a risky proposition

Who but those who have experienced it can appreciate the soul crushing anguish of mental illness? Afflictions of the mind can be paralyzing and fundamentally change the way we perceive ourselves (I am worthless), anticipate the future (my prospects are hopeless), and experience the world (life is unfair and unforgiving). The combination of self-loathing, hopelessness and despair can tragically lead to suicide.

Many patients with chronic health conditions also have mental health issues that go undiagnosed and untreated

Our health system often divides mental health from physical health into distinct silos of care and treatment, yet no such mind-body duality exists in actual patients.

How Canada fails people with mental illnesses

In any developed country, politicians and clinicians are struggling to improve quality of care while reducing costs of healthcare systems.