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Balancing work and family life is one of today’s hot topics. When it’s done right, it can be a source of health and well-being. But can one balance farm work and family life? Let’s see how a better understanding of farmers’ work-family balance can help shed new light on the specific challenges in their lives.

In a previous piece for Quintessence, I wrote about Supported Self Management (SSM) for mood problems, surprisingly effective despite minimal cost and easy implementation. SSM involves teaching patients evidence-based methods for dealing with depression more effectively. The patient is provided with the Antidepressant Skills Workbook along with some support from a healthcare professional, peer support worker or family member. The skills taught in the workbook are based on cognitive behavioural therapy.

Although immigrants are generally healthier than people born in Canada, their health tends to decline over their time here. Access to health services is therefore essential, yet multiple barriers remain in the mental health context. As Laurence Kirmayer previously blogged, the challenges are complex and significant.

A research report released in Ontario last summer entitled Connecting the Dots indicated that local public health units are doing a substantial amount of mental health promotion for children and youth without having a specific mandate to do so. In Ontario, illness prevention and health promotion are at the heart of public health, yet the role of public health in the mental health of Ontarians has not been well defined. For instance, the Ontario Public Health Standards, which guides the work of public health units, lacks an explicit mandate to address mental health.

In 2011, five universities within the Université du Québec network (UQ) introduced a master’s of nursing program in mental health and psychiatric care. Like the nurse practitioners specialized in primary care or other fields, the role of the nurse practitioner in mental health and psychiatry seems obvious. Unfortunately however, it does not seem so obvious to many in government and even less so among our psychiatrist colleagues. Many difficult questions have been raised about what type of nursing should be given priority; should a title be created for the specialized nurse practitioner rather than hoping that specialized mental health nurse practitioners will hold a place of their own, or will either ever see the light of day because of the confusion surrounding these employment categories?

The equinox, for many First Nations people, represents change and transformation. Spring in particular is a time of awakening, renewal as well as rebirth. It is also time to journey towards the gathering place. This special place, where meetings, exchanges, celebrations and mourning take place, is full of meaning and memories because it remembers the past, bears witness to the present and offers hope for the future.

The reality of older people with loss of autonomy illustrates the effects of the global movement towards deinstitutionalization. Several reasons are behind the movement to “keep” the elderly in their own living environment, such as costs associated with population ageing and the resulting burden on health system resources, as well as the desire of the individuals themselves to spend their remaining years at home.

Let’s be frank…
Rest assured. If you develop an anxiety disorder after an accident at work, the government will help cover treatment costs, including costs for psychotherapy if necessary.
Your son committed suicide? Well…

There is a significant fear of being labeled with a mental disorder, which is major reason why we are reluctant to discuss issues with friends, family and health care professionals. Although a major challenge, the stigma associated with mental disorders is often hidden. Yet, the psychosocial impacts are serious and touch many aspects of the affected person’s life. Often, people with a mental disorder even tell us that the stigma and discrimination are more troublesome than the disorder itself.

A province as large as Ontario poses significant challenges to anyone trying to get a handle on the policy landscape for mental health and addictions. Nevertheless, it’s an honour to have an opportunity to contribute to Qualaxia, and over the course of my next few blogs, I hope to offer an overview of some of the key documents informing the Ontario context.