Here are Some Shocking Facts About Mental Health in Halton

Published February 27, 2019 at 5:39 pm

For the past couple of years society as a whole has been working to break the stigma surrounding mental health.  And although we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

For the past couple of years society as a whole has been working to break the stigma surrounding mental health.  And although we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

One way to continuously break the stigma is, although it may seem obvious, is to not ignore mental health and understand that it can impact anyone – whether it be positively or negatively, first or second hand – even those right here in the Halton Region.

The region released its Mental Health Report 2018, which is a report of mental health and wellbeing in Halton – and some of the findings are shocking.

According to the 2018 report, life satisfaction for some Halton residents tends to decrease as they get older. However, the report notes that some older adults (65 and over) reported being less stressed, in addition, the same age group also reported having a stronger sense of community belonging as opposed to people between the ages of 18 and 64.

The report notes that one in 10 people between these ages (18 and 64) have been diagnosed with a mood and/or anxiety disorder. On the other hand, in general, four out of five Halton residents (ages 12 and up) claimed that their mental health was very good or excellent – which is reported to be higher than Ontario. 

According to the report, your income, education, and where you were born, as well as many other factors, also can have an impact on your mental health. 

“Halton residents with higher incomes, post-secondary education, and a strong sense of community belonging have better self-rated mental health,” reads the report. 

Although, Grade 9 students in Halton had lower depression rates, higher sense of belonging, positive relationships, and a higher self-esteem as opposed to Grade 12 students in the region.

However, the report continued to explain that, “Newcomer high school students in Halton are less likely to have a positive sense of belonging and positive relationships with their peers compared to Canadian-born students.”

This report proves that mental health, or mental illnesses, can impact anyone regardless of your age, gender, job, etc. And besides having an effect on an individual person, either first hand or second hand, there is also a monetary impact associated with mental illnesses. The report revealed that the estimated economic burden of mental illnesses across the country is $51 billion per year – this consists of healthcare, lost productivity, and reduced quality of life costs.

What do you think of the findings from this report?

View the full report here.

Graphic is courtesy of the Halton Region.

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