In Canada, almost a third of the population rated their mental health fair or poor last year, an increase from five years earlier. By the age of 40, one in two Canadians will have had, or be living with, a mental illness.
Mental health has only worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflects a pattern of declining rates across the globe. We’re in the midst of a systemic mental health crisis that has evolved over the past several decades, explained Western University’s Eric Collins.
A professor of health studies within the Faculty of Health Sciences, Collins specializes in teaching and researching mental illness. Today’s crisis is the culmination of an ever-shifting notion of mental health, he said, and the policies that have sprung forth from those views.
In the ancient world, mental illness was often framed as a supernatural curse or moral failure, laying the groundwork for centuries of stigma and cruelty to those affected. With the discovery of brain networks and neurochemistry, the 20th century brought a modern understanding of mental health, rooted in science. Advancements in technology have further unearthed its complexity.
We still haven’t got it figured out, Collins stressed.
An over-emphasis on the biological mechanisms of the brain has turned mental health into a checklist, he says, where “people are labelled as mentally ill or having a diagnosis because of how they check off a number of boxes in a diagnostic manual. It is a mistake to think of our mental health in isolation from our physical environment, from our social relationships, our workplace, and all these factors,” he added.
Mental health is a collection of our emotional, psychological and social capacity – which, together, allow us to deal with adversity and tough times, Collins said.
But external factors are weighing on us more than ever. Collins considers the current affordability crisis one of the greatest contributors to our worsening mental state.
“It’s impossible to ignore because of the implications it has on an everyday basis. We need bread, we need vegetables, we need somewhere to live,” he said. “If those things are out of reach or putting us into debt, that affects us every single day.”
Even more pervasive, and just as influential, is social media. Collins points to the slew of mixed content that floods feeds, often filled with violent and graphic imagery, as taking a significant toll on our well-being. And while this negative content stirs up immediate feelings of angst, aspirational content from influencers showcasing their fitness or wealth lifestyle can be equally as disheartening.
“It’s become, for many people, the benchmark they’re trying to reach. And if they’re not there, they feel at a deficit through this comparison,” Collins said.
While extending our ability to connect with people online, Collins also recognizes how internet culture has re-shaped our social lives, an irreplaceable ingredient to happiness.
“We’re not machines or robots. We’re designed to connect with one another in-person, in real life,” he stressed. “If our existence is not structured to facilitate that, we pay a price.”
The price is an all-encompassing weight on our well-being, extending to our physical health as well.
Our bodies are always responding in a way to try to help us survive, and in many cases, thrive, he said. “When our mental health is poor, it can be difficult to get off the couch, get out of bed, find the energy to do the things we know would help.”
This is why reframing mental health holistically – as an experience deeply responsive to the web of our surroundings – is an important starting point for understanding and effectively addressing this crisis, Collins said. Not only does it take pressure off the individual, “it exposes many societal problems contributing to our well-being.”
As long as these pressures – soaring affordability costs, constant exposure to harmful social media content and the absence of meaningful in-person social connection – continue to dominate daily life, solving the mental health crisis will be difficult, Collins believes. But he remains hopeful. On a systemic level, he sees expanding access to high-quality, community-based mental health support as an essential, timely strategy that can provide immediate relief to those most in need while broader social reforms are implemented.
Because specialized mental health care is largely privatized and out of reach, many Canadians are left navigating years-long public waitlists. In the absence of timely professional care, some people use harmful coping strategies, such as substance misuse, chronic gambling or other high-risk behaviours for temporary relief, Collins said.
Encouraging young adults to choose a career in the mental health care field, amid a shortage in the industry, and ensure there is available services for those who need them, is a possible solution to democratizing care, Collins said.
“You need to have the bricks and mortar, the hospitals, the clinics, the institutions available to house people or patients, but also the trained experts to work. All this lowers barriers to access.”
On a personal level, he encourages people to center the fundamentals, and take it step by step.
“If you’re fortunate enough to have a home that has a roof over it and has a refrigerator and shower, try your best to take care of yourself that way,” he said.
“I am optimistic that we’re figuring it out, painfully, but in a way that’s moving us in a positive direction,” Collins said.
Reflecting on his childhood and adolescence, Collins experienced his own mental health struggles. He credits the support of people around him, access to quality mental health care and a relentless determination, with leading him to recovery. This triumph gave him invaluable insight into what mental health means, and how we can all navigate it.
“I’ve learned that there is a pathway to recovery. I’ve lived it, and it’s possible for others as well,” he said.
“It’s inevitable that we’ll experience adversity in our personal lives, we’re all recovering from something – but in that, we can find deep meaning and establish connections that really make it all worth it.”
Learn more about how Western is optimizing health for all.
Collins’ Tips:
- Get good quality sleep.
- Limit your exposure to social media.
- Try to eat nutritious food.
- Take care of your hygiene.
- Try to exercise.
- Connect with others in-person.
