Ontario Government to Fund Talk Therapy, Improve Integration in Mental Illness Treatment

TORONTO, March 3, 2020 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) welcomes today's announcement by the Ontario Government to improve quality, address gaps and increase services in treating mental illness and addictions.

One in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness or addiction problem, in any given year. One in 2 have?or have had?a mental illness, by the time they reach 40.

"We applaud the launch of the Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario's Mental Health and Addictions System. Doctors see patients every day who suffer from mental illness" said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, OMA President. "But too often people experiencing mental illness fall through the cracks. I applaud Minister Elliott and Associate Minister Tibollo for taking an integrated approach to make sure patients have greater access to quality care."

The OMA has developed a series of white papers on key health-care issues and will soon be releasing the first one on Physician Leadership in Mental Health and Addiction Care. The white paper will recommend the government establish and implement standards for equitable, connected, timely and high-quality mental health and addictions service delivery throughout the province, which the government has taken positive steps towards today.

"The OMA advocated for the government to expand and enhance mental health services in our pre-budget submission" said Gandhi. "We are pleased to see the government focus on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as a first step and look forward to learning more about it, and contributing to the development of this initiative." 

Mental illnesses are often multi-faceted and complex, and patients may require treatment for extended periods of time or throughout their entire illness. CBT is often successful in treating a number of conditions including the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses in Canada.

Untreated or undertreated mental illness increases other medical costs and is a barrier to patients regaining a meaningful personal life and returning to work. Today, many patients must wait to receive mental health services. Increased funding for this area is welcome.

About the OMA

The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000 plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system. 

SOURCE Ontario Medical Association