Did anyone think about how many people will die as a result of the unnatural conditions forced upon us?
There are always unintended consequences to government actions, especially those hastily adopted. So Canada’s COVID-19 policies could result in an epidemic of deaths and injuries due to domestic violence and suicide attempts. During the 24 years that I practised family law, I observed a large influx of separation and divorce cases every January and September.…
Thousands of patients are on wait lists. Meanwhile, the human and economic costs of mental illness keep rising
For the past decade, Bell Canada has used the month of January to support awareness of mental health issues. Its extensive media campaigns have encouraged Canadians to talk openly about mental health and break the uncomfortable stigma that still tends to hover over such conversations. There’s plenty of data to document the prevalence of Canada’s…
Delta Hospice Society has been locked in a lengthy fight with the health authority and the B.C. government, and has now lost its funding
Directors of a Vancouver-area hospice are considering their legal options after the B.C. government abruptly yanked its funding because it doesn’t permit medical assistance in dying (MAID) on the premises. And an Ottawa lawyer engaged by the Delta Hospice Society says B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix is simply wrong to claim the facility’s refusal to…
Terms such as physician assisted dying or assisted suicide make lies sound truthful and murder respectable
Euphemisms have been around at least since biblical times when to uncover a man’s foot was an idiom for making sexual advances. Today, as in the 10th century, people “sleep together”, and everyone knows the intention behind an invitation for a “nightcap”. In classical times, “curled up”, “gone to sleep”, or “on a journey” were…
Over the past three decades, a small palliative care hospice in suburban Vancouver has raised millions of dollars and provided hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to benefit British Columbia’s health system. Now, the Delta Hospice Society must drop its refusal to provide medical assistance in dying (MAID) for qualifying patients in its care. Or…
Mental illnesses can often be prevented from developing, or becoming more severe and difficult to treat, by offering help to young people
By Mariette Chartier and Marni Brownell University of Manitoba Mental illness is the most common illness found in Canada's children and teens. We all know a young person who struggles with depression, anxiety, an addiction or a behavioural disorder. Mental illness causes high levels of distress in children and can significantly interfere with their lives. But mental illnesses can…
In Canada, men account for three out of every four suicides – with seven men dying by suicide every day – but our support programs fall short
By John Oliffe and Britney Dennison Men’s Health Research University of British Columbia Jason was in Grade 5 when he started having feelings for other boys. Because of those feelings, he was called names, beaten up in school and sexually assaulted. Since high school, Jason has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic…
For every $1 invested in psychological services for depression, there’s a $2 return to society
Too often goes untold are the stories of thousands of people who die by suicide every year in Canada – our friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours. What’s also not well documented is how frequently many of them may have struggled with depression, often for months or even years, and how many may have lacked adequate…
For many, having a chance for a successful life means leaving their homes and moving elsewhere – for better education and more job prospects
In communities across Canada – and elsewhere in the world – young people are determined to escape, even if it means committing suicide. It’s a crisis that can be avoided. This summer, CBC Radio reported “yet another spate of suicides” in Attawapiskat, in northern Ontario. The First Nation was briefly famous in 2012 when then-chief…
Are the profits from government sponsored gambling worth the cost in human lives, broken relationships and misery?
Since the early 1990s permanent casinos have been springing up in communities all across Canada. Our government has relaxed its views on gambling and made it much more accessible to adults everywhere. In more recent years this has expanded to include government-run online gambling portals as well. With this increase in availability has come an…
There are always unintended consequences to government actions, especially those hastily adopted. So Canada’s COVID-19 policies could result in an epidemic of deaths and injuries due to domestic violence and suicide attempts. During the 24 years that I practised family law, I observed a large influx of separation and divorce cases every January and September.…
