Proposal to Address the Issue of Mental Illnesses and Drug Use Among the Canadians

Mental Health Access and Substance Abusers
Student’s Name
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Mental Health Access and Substance Abusers
Given the fact that one in every five Canadians is affected by mental illness every year, it is clear to the Mental Health Commission of Canada that there is a need to address the issue of mental health. Mental or drug use disorder should not only be addressed because of the rise in the number of Canadians affected annually but also because the issue has greatly contributed to disabilities worldwide (Statistics Canada, 2018). Concurrent disorders have also proven to be a great issue for Canada and one which has been contributed by the current structure of treatment systems in the country. Children and adolescents in Canada are the most affected by mental health problems as well as the youth who are aged between 15 and 24 (Camh, 2018). Moreover, a majority of those infected indicate moderate to high levels of psychological distress. The result shows that there is a need to determine what exactly is causing the individuals to have higher stress levels. Addressing the high levels of mental illnesses can result in a reduction in drug abuse and addiction for individuals with mental illnesses are twice as likely to abuse drugs.
To address the issue of mental illnesses and drug use among the Canadians, a number of proposals can prove effective. The first would be to set up research programs that would help to determine what exactly is causing the individuals to have higher stress levels. Since adolescents are shown to have the most stress, the program can be highly focused on this group. There are a variety of factors that can cause high stress levels, including family, poverty, illnesses, and problems with relationships. The Mental Health Commission can initiate and fund this program to help determine the cause of mental health among the most affected age group. Moreover, the issue of stigmatization has led to most individuals failing to avail themselves for treatment, and this has contributed to the increase in the number of individuals with concurrent disorders and addiction problems. With the help of the Mental Health Commission, an initiative to educate individuals on the effects of stigmatization can be initiated. The initiative should be directed to learning institutions mainly because children in these institutions are the most affected by mental issue and addiction.
Another proposal would be to initiate treatment programs for the individuals who are already affected. This can be done by directing funds to mental institutions to facilitate the programs. The money can be used to buy medicine, hire quality staff and buy the required tools and equipment necessary to help the infected individuals recover from their illnesses and addiction. The current institutional structures make it difficult to detect whether an individual has a concurrent disorder because of the compartmentalized and highly independent systems (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, 2018). The Mental Health Commission of Canada can, therefore, include in their strategy, a recommendation for health institutions to integrate their ...