Special Issue Mobilizing Canada's Mental Health Strategy Introduction

Abstract

Until 2012, Canada was the only G7 country without a national mental health strategy. Changing Directions, Changing Lives (the Strategy) was developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) (2012) over a 4-year period. The Strategy reflects extensive consultation with Canadians, including many who care passionately about the state of mental health services in our country. It grew out of the work of the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, which published the report Out of the Shadows At Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada (Kirby & Keon, 2006) almost 10 years ago. Out of the Shadows called for major reforms to mental health care delivery, a mental health transition fund of $5.3 billion and a mental health commission to guide the reform. The creation of the MHCC and the release of the Strategy are key milestones in mental health policy in Canada, but Canada continues to have lower rates of spending on mental health than the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.