Bell Let's Talk Day lifted 'cloak of secrecy' around mental illness, say advocates

Canada's mental health sector has struggled to combat the stigma of mental illness for years, and while advocates say that support for the mentally ill is still well below what it should be, initiatives like today's Bell Let's Talk Day have helped.

One in five Canadians suffers frommental illness, with an annual cost of approximately $50 billion to the health care system, according to a 2011 report commissioned by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC),an organization funded byHealth Canada that co-ordinates mental health initiatives and drafted Canada'smental health strategy.

But because of the stigma associated withmental illness, initiatives having to do with mental health are, for the most part, eitherignored orunderfunded.

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Let's Talk Day started in 2010 as an effort tochallenge thatstigma bycreating a forum for public discussion about it. EachJanuary, Bell donates five cents for every call and text made on its network on Let's Talk Day, as well as for eachFacebookshare that promotes the cause and everytweetthat uses the #BellLetsTalkhashtag.

It has encouraged people to be more aware and in many cases to volunteer.-CamilleQuenneville,Canadian Mental Health Association

The company has donated more than$73 million to mental health initiatives across Canada so far under the program.

Mental health professionals say the campaign ismore than PR stunt andhas helped change the public debateabout mental health.

"I think it'svery significant," saidCamilleQuenneville, CEOof the Ontario branchof the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)."It has encouraged people to be more aware and in many cases to volunteer to want to do something about this."

From silence to opendebate

Dr.DavidGoldbloom, apsychiatrist and senior medical adviser at theCentre forAddiction and Mental Health,said the initiativehas broadened the conversation around mental health.

"It has drawn an unprecedented national spotlight on the subject of mental illness itself," saidGoldbloom.

"We can look at other health causes like HIVor breast cancer, where the conversation went from silence to open talk.I think the same is happening now with mental health."

Heather Stuart, who holds theBell Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair atQueen's University, said the success of the campaign speaks to a widerneedto discuss mental illness openly.

"Everybody's afraid to say anything," she said. "There's this cloak of secrecy. I think it's been successful because it just broke through that bubble and said, 'We'regonnatalk about this, and it's OK to do it.'"

Funding gap

Despite the success of Bell Let's Talk Day, the mental health sector still faces a number of tough challenges, particularly when it comes to funding.

Because of stigma, mental health programs are often one of the first ones to be cut when there's a budget-tightening exercise going on.- Heather Stuart, Queen's University

The 2012 Mental Health Care Strategy by theMHCCcalled on the government to improve funding of the mental health sector, which currently makes up aboutseven per cent of health care spending. TheMHCCand the CMHA have both called for that to increase to nine per cent over 10 years, or about $4.29 billion.

However, no firm funding commitment has been madeona national level.

"Underfunding, I would say, is the biggest issue that we face," saidQuenneville.

The stigma of mental illness hasn't helped when it comes to raising and retainingmoney for the cause.

"Because of stigma, mental health programs are often one of the first ones to be cut when there's a budget-tightening exercise going on," Stuart said. "They may also be the last to be funded, the first to be cut."

The other 364 days

Bell has committed to continuing Let's Talk Dayfor anotherfive years and increasingfundingto at least $100 million.

"There's been greater investment by us and others in mental health, but mental health is still noton par with other common health issues in terms of research, in education and awareness, in access to supports and services," saidMary Deacon, chair of Bell Let's Talk Day.

"We're making progress, but the work's not done, so that's why we are staying the course."

Bell Let's Talk Day happens once a year, and it's up to the public to ensure its impact extends beyond that, says Goldbloom.

"It's not sustainable to make every day Bell Let's Talk Day," he said. "Ultimately, this is up to every Canadian to take this on as a personal challenge and task."