MENTAL HEALTH: SPECIAL REPORT

From the March 8th edition of The Chronicle Herald:

Is the mental health system broken? Find out, starting in Tuesday’s edition of The Chronicle Herald.

The Articles and Videos

Addressing mental health malaise difficult in tough times, but necessary (March 12th)

Desperate measures (March 12th)

Reaching the breaking point (March 12th)

Getting help instead of being put behind bars (March 12th)

Taking treatment to kids (March 11th)

Payment scheme keeps patient numbers down (March 11th)

Balancing treatment, research (March 11th)

Much work to do (March 10th)

VIDEO: Health Minister Maureen MacDonald says mental health care is a priority (March 10th)

Real success or just a mirage? (March 10th)

Integrated care in community best, cheapest (March 10th)

Help just down the hallway (March 10th)

When an option is denied (March 10th)

Mental health: Is our province’s system hurting or helping? (March 9th)

Desperately seeking help for Donnie (March 9th)

The long road to mental health (March 9th)

Mental illness problems common among homeless (March 9th)


Also see:

Success stories

Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act (Nova Scotia)

Nova Scotia's Mental Health Court Program

Spring Lake Ranch

Home on the farm: Working therapeutic farm communities (An article from the fall 2007 edition of Schizophrenia Magazine, PDF)


Letters to the editor:

March 24th

Mental health clinics work


Awareness key

I would like to thank The Chronicle Herald for exploring the challenges facing mental health services in Nova Scotia. It is a difficult topic to cover thoroughly, as issues of confidentiality often prevent mental health professionals from disclosing details of illness and treatment in specific cases. Mental illness is difficult for patients and families, as well as for treating physicians. As in other medical conditions, many psychiatric illnesses have poor prognosis and the best treatments sometimes prove ineffective.

As a medical student, I am learning the importance of advocating for patients. Treatments available in Nova Scotia are top-notch but most mental illnesses are chronic conditions requiring many resources to optimize outcomes. Growing strains on the health-care system and limited resources add another dimension to the challenges of treatment. I am in the process of completing a six-week psychiatry rotation at the QEII and have seen first-hand both the difficulties faced by patients as well as the dedication and compassion of members of the mental health team.

Increased public awareness of the need for further supports is a great step toward ensuring these patients have the necessary resources.

Blair Williams, Halifax

March 19th

Don’t discount positives

In response to the March 12 article "Reaching the breaking point," I would like to share that I have been a mental health consumer under the care of Dr. David Mulhall since 1997. The care I have received from Valley Regional Hospital’s mental health unit and its staff has been paramount in my recovery. Please don’t discount the fact that numerous consumers have received and are receiving proper care from the hospital and its range of services.

It may not be a perfect system, and it’s not black and white, but I agree with Dr. John Campbell, who says he has "confidence in the people who work within our system."

Barbara Martin, Wolfville


Research topics

Regarding the Capital District Health Authority: Hats off to Dr. William O. McCormick, psychiatrist, for his March 12 letter "Hospital open and active." He stated the facts about the Nova Scotia Hospital not being closed, and about its Allied Sites.

People should not comment in public before they fully research their topics.

Emmalee Hopkins, Halifax

March 18th

Troubled times for mental health: What can we do right now?

March 17th

Unique contribution

Mental health is certainly everybody’s business and it is imperative that the public has adequate knowledge and education in order to make informed decisions about individual needs.

The March 10 article "Real success or just a mirage?" contains some comments that could lead to a misconception about the qualifications of psychologists and their role in mental health. An understanding of the unique contribution that psychologists make in the provision of mental health services plays an integral part of public education and informed decision-making.

Registered psychologists in Nova Scotia are uniquely qualified to diagnose and provide treatment for a spectrum of mental health disorders. Psychologists are involved across the continuum of care — from prevention, diagnosis and intervention to the treatment of acutely ill individuals. Ultimately, working toward an environment where individuals can be offered services from an interdisciplinary team of professionals is an advantage to the client or patient.

On another note, it was wrong for the title of your series on mental health services in Nova Scotia to contain the words "Broken minds," with a graphic of a head with a shattered hole in it against a backdrop of machine cogs. This image promotes a stereotype of mental illness.

Dean Perry, R.Psych., Public Education Co-ordinator,
Association of Psychologists of N.S.

March 14th

Real progress made every day

IN LIGHT of The Chronicle Herald’s special report on mental health last week, I thought it was the right opportunity to shine a light on some of the positive work being done for mental health care right here in our community.

This past week, we have heard about the holes in the province’s health care system, the disparity of funding allocated to mental health care and heart-wrenching stories of families and individuals affected by mental illness.

While these are all important stories to tell, perhaps the real message here is about awareness.

In last Wednesday’s article titled "Much work to do," Health Minister Maureen MacDonald was quoted as saying, "We won’t fix the mental health system, but we will make some real progress."

Let us be reminded that real progress is being made every day.

Yes, there are funding limitations, a provincial deficit and poor distribution of health care funds. But each day, we are more impressed by our community’s willingness to give their time and effort to help raise awareness about the prevalence of mental illness.

In April, the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia will launch our first-ever capital campaign in support of mental health, Opening Minds. This groundbreaking campaign aims to raise $3 million to improve mental health care services for individuals who are affected by mental illness.

Anyone can support this campaign, whether it’s by making a financial contribution, volunteering their time or spreading the word throughout their community about the need for support.

While there is still much work to be done, the Foundation has made major strides in changing the way people think about mental illness — and you, too, can help make a difference.

Fred MacGillivray, Chair, Board of Trustees, Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia

March 12th

Hospital open and active

We who are mental health professionals are following with interest the articles this week. It is very disappointing that the March 10 front-page article "Much work to do" contained misleading information. Outlining our health minister’s experience, the article stated: "She … worked at Dalhousie Legal Aid and the Nova Scotia Hospital before it was closed in favour of a community-based mental health model."

It is no more true that the Nova Scotia Hospital has been closed than to say that the Victoria General Hospital or the Halifax Infirmary has been closed because they are now part of the Capital District Health Authority (CDHA). At the Nova Scotia Hospital, we have the following: the only in-patient unit for the seniors’ mental health service of CDHA; the only in-patient unit in the province for those with dual diagnoses of mental illness and developmental delay; two rehabilitation units for persons with very severe and persistent mental illness; one of the three acute in-patient units in CDHA mental health program.

A number of other programs which, along with the parent hospital, we refer to as "the Nova Scotia Hospital and Allied Sites" are, indeed, community-based, including three of the five out-patient clinics in CDHA.

I am proud to be just three weeks short of completing 21 years association with this important Dalhousie University department of psychiatry teaching hospital.

William O. McCormick, psychiatrist, Mental Health Services
Bedford/Sackville

March 10th

Signs of hope

We appreciate the initiative you have taken in focusing on mental health in Nova Scotia. In Tuesday’s paper, you highlight a few shortcomings. There are also signs of hope. More staff and money may not be the total solution.

First: There are talented and committed professionals seeking to make a difference. There is the early intervention program, with mental health professionals working with school staff to identify young people who could develop mental illness. We could back them up with volunteers for support groups and provide activities for those at risk.

Second: Family members are available to supplement professional treatment. In many instances, they provide the majority of the care, at no cost to the Department of Health. They need to be welcomed, valued and integrated into the total package.

Third: Those who "consume" mental health services for themselves and who are on the recovery journey from their illness are a valuable resource. They can be the sympathetic ear and a model/partner for others who are ill.

We shall read the subsequent issues of The Chronicle Herald with interest.

Rev. Roger Cann, New Minas

Recovery is possible

An article posted October 3rd on NovaNewsNow.com:

The hidden face of mental illness

Tony Legere [pictured] doesn’t mince words when he describes his life as a young man. “Parts of it were hell,” he says.

Legere, 47, has battled schizophrenia, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder for much of his life. His illness manifested as early as age 14, when he started to pull away from his friends, began hallucinating and hearing voices.

For the next 25 years he shuffled between hospitals, psychiatric wards and the family home. To make matters worse, he began abusing drugs and alcohol. Relationships and job opportunities passed him by in his battle against addiction, lethargy, anxiety and debilitating depression.

“I knew there was something very wrong, but nothing I tried seemed to fix it,” he says. But even during his darkest moments – Legere attempted suicide several times – he held onto a kernel of hope. “I always had this burning feeling that someday things would get better.”

Mental health experts figure that as many as one in five Canadians suffer from a mental illness. With early diagnosis and proper treatment, thousands of Canadians have recovered from disorders such as schizophrenia and gone on to live successful, productive lives.

“There have been huge advances in the treatment of mental illness in the last 10 years,” says Dr. John Campbell, Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services at Annapolis Valley Health.

Unfortunately, widespread stereotypes about mental illness can be a barrier to getting help. “It is an absolute myth that all people with a mental illness are violent and dangerous,” says Pat MacLean of the Schizophrenia Society. “The tragedy is that on those very rare occasions when something terrible does happen, it’s often because that person wasn’t receiving treatment.”

Strong support system is important

That’s where a strong support system comes in. “My mother fought for me tooth and nail, even when I couldn’t fight for myself,” Legere remembers. By providing him with a place to live, encouraging him to seek treatment and supporting him through his relapses, Legere says his family played a huge role in his recovery.

So too did supports like The Beacon Program at the Kings Regional Rehabilitation Centre, as well as organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association, whose training and job placement programs help people with mental illnesses get their lives back. Nearly a quarter of Canadians aged 35-49 who have a mental illness are unemployed. “Getting people back into society where they can contribute is essential,” says Ron Peori, chair of CMHA, Kings County branch.

For every bad news story covered in the press, there are hundreds of examples of people who are managing their mental illness and living successfully, says Valerie Davis, manager of Community Support and Rehabilitation in AVH. “The irony is the stigma of mental illness means that the success stories are the ones we don’t hear about,” she says.

Thanks to accessing proper services and treatment, Legere is now in control of his mental illness and his addictions. He is married, has a job, and lives in a beautiful four-bedroom home.

He’s also giving back. He writes about mental illness for print and online publications, and speaks to community groups and schools. He appreciates initiatives such as Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 5-11, for helping to bring mental illness out of the shadows.

“My purpose in life is to get the word out there that recovery from mental illness is possible,” he says. “Look at me; I’m now living the life I used to dream about.”

- Annapolis Valley Health

Photograph courtesy of Tony Legere.

Mothers’ stories of mental illness

To read this article, published in the September 18th edition of The Kings County Register, click here.

Here are some quotes from the article:

Marty has been to court twice to try to access treatment for Adam. With the involuntary treatment law, she encountered a warm-hearted judge.

“I sat there, read my letter and cried. I told him, he’s not an adult, he’s my child and he’s going to do something to hurt someone.”

Adam has been criminalized because of his illness on an assault charge.

This judge ordered him treated and he spent two weeks at Valley Regional Hospital. The result, Marty terms, was a miracle.

“It’s a blessing. I see his blue eyes and there’s life there. He’s a grown man, but it’s like the first day of school.”

A recently-released psychiatric patient is believed to have committed suicide this summer. Last month, police were called to Valley Regional Hospital to remove a psychiatric in-patient.

Long-time Canadian Mental Health Association volunteer Terry Hebb says he sees no improvement in local services.

“They have not gotten better. In fact, they continue to turn a blind eye.”

Many in the local community don’t bother going to Valley Regional for mental health treatment, Hebb says.

“Go to Halifax, they tell their friends, because your chances of getting help here are very slim. It’s bad all over the province. There aren’t enough psychiatrists.”

If you are a criminal, you actually get help, Hebb says.

“It shouldn’t be that way. There are real ways to help someone before they commit a violent crime.”

According to Hebb, many patients move to Kentville because of the regional hospital, expecting help. Housing for the chronically ill is a major problem.

“Beds at Valley Regional go empty because they won’t admit patients. Then, they release them at 5 p.m. on a Friday and they have nowhere to go.”

A woman who befriended a patient released August 8 describes meeting callous healthcare providers, no release plan and a young man left raving with a plastic bag full of three prescriptions in his hand. A few days later in a Kentville apartment, he covered the windows in toothpaste so no one could look in, gave away his groceries and burned possessions in the parking lot.

“Every day there’s something. Twice he’s locked himself out. I’ve had enough. Nobody takes ownership of him and I hear there are three more like him out there,” she said.

Back in January, Dr. John Campbell, head of mental health and addictions services, said the Annapolis Valley Health District had hired a manager of community support and rehabilitation in September 2007 to take a collaborative approach to chronic mental health cases. Campbell also said psychiatric beds in Kentville are full 50 to 60 per cent of the time.

Photograph courtesy of The Kings County Register