Read more: Ontarians agree mental health support essential in post-Covid recovery
With nearly half (45%) of Ontarians finding it a challenge to talk to their loved ones about their mental health, the data also point to a lack of familial support.
“Knowing anxiety and other mental health issues affect 3.5 million Ontarian adults and that 41 percent have difficulty accessing mental health services, certainly illustrates that more work needs to be done,” according to Karim Mamdani, president and chief executive officer of Ontario Shores, a specialized mental health facility that has been caring for patients with mental illness for more than a century.
“This figure serves as a timely reminder that the demand for mental health services is rapidly increasing. Ontario Shores, like many other mental healthcare providers, has seen an increase in service demand,” said Mamdani. “We believe that this is only the beginning, and that even more pressure to support the mental health of the communities we serve is just around the corner.”
Former Ontario Shores adolescence inpatient Sterling Renzoni said that when he was at the worst of his illness, he frequently felt as though he had no voice outside of his eating disorder.
