According to the CMHA, around 1 in 5 youth, who need mental health services receive them and almost all mental-health problems begin before the age of 24. As a consequence, mental health problems are estimated to cost the Canadian economy $55 billion a year and Canadians will struggle with mental illness for the rest of their lives.
So what’s the hold up?
It comes down to funding. The CMHA is urging provincial governments to spend at least 9% of their health budgets on mental health services. The national average currently sits at 7%.
In New Brunswick, mental health services receive less than 4%.