1 Smetanin et al. (2011). The Life and Economic Impact of Serious Mental Illness in Canada: 2011-2041. Prepared for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Toronto: RiskAnalytica. A second example involves a series of multi-part interventions to improve the well-being of call centre staff piloted in 2 call centres. This evaluation was complicated by 2 main factors: the implementation of the pilot project was already underway when the BG was entrusted with the evaluation, which excluded a real basis for the study; In addition, participation in the various components of the program was voluntary, so each worker received a different set of interventions based on their personal choice. While this allowed for the investigation of workplace stigma as part of a voluntary and atypical program, it did not allow for the traditional survey design prior to the post-post evaluation. The qualitative evaluation found that the voluntary nature of the programme was a barrier to full participation and that the implementation and evaluation of programmes in call centres required particular attention to the mental health issues specific to this environment (e.g. shift work, difficult clients and work objectives). The evidence also suggests that the issue of mental health self-stigma in the workplace needs further investigation. The approach used by OM is rooted in the philosophy of community development, with clearly defined audiences, contact-based education as the central organizational element of interventions, and a strong evaluation component so that best practices can be identified, replicated and disseminated. Contact-based education occurs when people who have suffered from mental illness share their personal stories of recovery and hope.
The MHCC`s directors, executive team, board of directors and advisory committees all share the same goal: to create a better mental health system for Canadians. The Commission`s research project „Chez Soi“ in French) examined the homelessness of people with mental illness through the combination of treatment and housing and is the largest experiment of its kind in the world. [4] The project takes place in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton and is based on the Housing First model of the Pathways to Housing program in the United States, which has yielded positive results in cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Washington. [5] To provide a more complete picture of the mental health landscape in Canada, the MHCC presents 55 indicators that reflect the mental health of children and youth, adults and seniors. The indicators examine mental health in different contexts and report on aspects of services and supports used by people with mental health problems and illnesses. In addition, OM commissioned the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma to research and create a new media resource guide entitled Mindset: Reporting on Mental Health.20 The forum also collaborated with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to create a related website.21 The guide was published in April 2014 and provides information to journalists on the following questions: caused by the stigma of mental illness. Myths about mental illness, quick facts, suggested stories about violence, use of language, contacts that can help journalists prepare new stories and sample stories that help reduce stigma. The federal government created the MHCC the following year and appointed the Chair of the Senate Committee, the Honourable Michael Kirby, as its first Chair. The MHCC`s first mandate (2007-2017) was to develop the country`s first mental health strategy. Many people with mental health problems and mental illness often experience stigma – negative attitudes and negative behaviours they produce.
Stigma spreads fear and misinformation, labels individuals and perpetuates stereotypes. More than 60% of people with mental health problems and illnesses do not seek the help they need; Stigma is one of the main reasons. There is a growing need for mental health services and resources across Canada, but the economic cost of meeting this need is significant. E-mental health could help fill this gap in a cost-effective way if we could first learn how to best support its development and implementation, and how to better position mental health technologies and services in the mental health field. As a final example, the Department of Defence has developed a comprehensive program to increase the resilience and mental health of its soldiers and personnel called R2MR. The program uses a mental health continuum model to teach people to look for behavioural signs and indicators in themselves and others, and to take appropriate action when they occur. Colors indicate degrees of severity and circumvent diagnostic labels and the stigma associated with them. OM has adapted R2MR for a general workplace audience. The Mind at Work retains most of the core building blocks and includes several additional modules that focus on the myths of mental health disorders, reducing the stigma associated with them, and workplace coping strategies.
The anti-stigma module uses video and live presentations (where possible) to provide a robust contact-based educational experience. Currently, there are 3 versions of the program: 1 for managers, 1 for front-line employees and 1 for train-the-trainers. Evaluations are underway in many institutions at the national level and involve universities and colleges, health networks, businesses, ministries and agencies. In addition, many police forces will receive a combination of R2MR and Mind at Work, and these assessments will continue. Summary of the Mental Health Commission of Canada`s Changing Minds initiative underway with respect to the 4 target groups (youth, health care providers, media and workplaces), highlighting some of the key methodological challenges and reviewing lessons learned. For programs for health care providers, particular attention was paid to aspects of stigma specific to the health care system, including behavioural attitudes and intentions related to phenomena such as diagnostic eclipse and prognostic negativity.3 It was also important that the scale take into account the perception of competence and personal control in individuals with illness. mental awareness, the perception of the extent to which health care providers felt they had a role or responsibility to advocate for people with mental illness; social distancing; and trends to disclose and seek help.