Imagine better.
Taking action to transform mental healthcare through innovation, education and compassion.
Imagine better.
Taking action to transform mental healthcare through innovation, education and compassion.
Psychiatrist
Innovator
Educator
Author
Speaker
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
– MARGARET MEAD
What I Believe.
I’m a psychiatrist. I think I was born to be a psychiatrist because I find everything about my specialty fascinating. But psychiatry can be a very sad and challenging specialty, because mental illnesses are always associated with distress and suffering. For many reasons, those experiencing symptoms of a mental illness often find it difficult to ask for help. Sadly, if they do ask for help, too often it’s not available.
The last few years have highlighted monumental challenges that connect every one of us: we’re facing unprecedented threats to our health, our environment and our livelihoods that may undermine our sense of safety and significantly impact our mental health. Those who already experience marginalisation are at further risk.
The statistics bear this out. Every year, 1 in 5 Canadians experience symptoms of a mental illness. This means that every one of us will, at some time, be impacted by mental illness, whether it’s ourselves, someone we work with or someone we love. This makes inaccessible, inadequate mental healthcare everyone’s problem to solve.
I’m a psychiatrist. I think I was born to be a psychiatrist because I find everything about my specialty fascinating. But psychiatry can be a very sad and challenging specialty, because mental illnesses are always associated with distress and suffering. For many reasons, those experiencing symptoms of a mental illness often find it difficult to ask for help. Sadly, if they do ask for help, too often it’s not available.
The last few years have highlighted monumental challenges that connect every one of us: we’re facing unprecedented threats to our health, our environment and our livelihoods that may undermine our sense of safety and significantly impact our mental health. Those who already experience marginalisation are at further risk.
The statistics bear this out. Every year, 1 in 5 Canadians experience symptoms of a mental illness. This means that every one of us will, at some time, be impacted by mental illness, whether it’s ourselves, someone we work with or someone we love. This makes inaccessible, inadequate mental healthcare everyone’s problem to solve.
The cracks in our healthcare system have grown into chasms, becoming visible in our everyday lives and negatively impacting our health. Mental healthcare has always been poorly funded and under-resourced; now, an already pitiful situation has become dire. Canadians are struggling, facing longer waits and inadequate access to accurate diagnoses and effective psychiatric treatment. And those carrying the weight within the mental healthcare system – family physicians, nurses, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists – are bending under that burden, facing unprecedented levels of burnout and even greater challenges to their own mental health and wellbeing.
We must act with a sense of urgency. We must be unified and brave in the face of entrenched stigma, marginalization and the status quo.
Imagine the impact of better.
Ensuring our physicians, nurses, counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists have the necessary resources to appropriately care for their patients will help to lighten the burden of mental healthcare delivery, improving caregiver effectiveness, compassion and wellbeing. Those who benefit most will be patients and their families, getting an accurate diagnosis and early, effective treatment. This can mean getting back to work, life and love, faster.
We must take urgent action, employing innovation, education and compassion.
While we are each just one person, our work will mean the world to someone who is suffering.
Where do we start?
We start with supporting the people who bear the weight of mental healthcare delivery: the primary caregivers.