British Columbians are asking for mental health care that arrives earlier. New public opinion research commissioned by the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division, released October 14 in Vancouver, finds overwhelming support for investing in care that reaches people before they hit a crisis point.
The numbers are lopsided: 88 per cent agree a stronger mental health system means people can get help in their communities before a crisis, and 82 per cent agree waiting until someone is in crisis is too late, with investment in housing, mental health care and community supports able to prevent crises. Asked what would make the biggest difference, respondents most often named access to treatment and services.
CMHA BC's concrete ask of the next provincial government — B.C. votes October 24 — is expanded access to publicly funded counselling and psychotherapy, one of four targeted actions it proposes to treat mental health care as essential infrastructure: maintain it, strengthen it, and fix problems before they become emergencies.
Chief executive Jonny Morris put the affordability point plainly in the association's release: no one should have to wait for a crisis because they cannot pay for counselling. With an election campaign under way, the polling gives every party a voter-backed reason to put early-access mental health funding in writing.
