Description
Mental illnesses are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour associated with significant distress and impaired functioning.
Examples of specific mental illnesses include:
- Schizophrenia
- Mood disorders: major depression and bipolar disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Eating disorders
- Personality disorders
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Risk factors
Mental illness arises from a complex interaction of genetic, biological, personality and environmental factors. Specific risk factors include: family history of mental illness, age, sex, substance abuse, chronic diseases, family, workplace, life event stresses. Mental illnesses affect people of all ages, education levels, income levels and cultures.
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Minimizing the Risks
Promoting mental health - good parenting, social support, meaningful employment and social roles, adequate income, physical activity, and an internal locus of control.
Early recognition of mental illness and appropriate response can minimize the impact of the illness.
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Symptoms
Symptoms vary for each illness, however in all cases the symptoms interfere with effective daily functioning.
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Facts and Figures
Twenty percent of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness during their lifetime.
One year prevalence of specific mental illnesses:
- 4% major depression
- 0.2 - 0.6 % bipolar disorder
- 0.3% schizophrenia
- 12% anxiety disorders
Hospitalizations for mental illnesses
- nearly one-half of all general hospital admissions for one of the seven most common mental illnesses (listed above plus attempted suicide) involve individuals between the ages of 25 and 44 years.
- the second highest hospitalization rates are among young people aged 15 to 24 years.
Suicide
- 2% of all deaths
- 24% of all deaths among those aged 15 - 24 years
- 16% of all deaths among those aged 25 - 44 years
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How the Government of Canada is taking action
In Canada, the planning and delivery of mental health services is an area in which the provincial and territorial governments have primary jurisdiction. The federal government (chiefly through Health Canada) collaborates with the provinces and territories in a variety of ways as they seek to develop responsive, coordinated and efficient mental health service systems.The Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control contributes thorough surveillance activities.
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Strategies, Programs and Projects
The Centre coordinated the October 2002 publication of "A Report on Mental Illnesses in Canada" with 10 other organizations. This report is designed to raise the profile of mental illness among government and non-government organizations, and the industry, education, workplace, and academic sectors.
A workshop held in September,1999, co-sponsored by Health Canada and the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH), developed a comprehensive indicator framework for a Mental Illnesses and Mental Health Surveillance System.
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Publications
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Related Sites (Links)
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