A Sunnybrook-led study has found that, of people in northern Ontario reporting mental health and addictions (MHA) concerns, less than 1 in 5 access any support, suggesting attention is required to increase access to services that meet community needs.
The study investigators looked at the sociodemographic information and characteristics of over 500 participants in northern Ontario, including their access to MHA services, barriers to care, and needs. Investigators also assessed predictors of MHA concerns. Some of the findings, include:
- Significant predictors for any MHA concern in this population were: younger age, low socioeconomic status (SES), 2SLGBTQIA+ identity, being married, and dissatisfaction with social supports
- Among those who did access support, the most frequently-reported services accessed or received tended to be less specialized
“The findings illustrate the nature of the obstacles to service access that residents in Northern Ontario face,” says Dr. Roula Markoulakis, senior author of the study and a scientist in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute.
“To effectively address local MHA service needs – and therefore the well-being and quality of life of a relatively large number of residents in northern Ontario – it is necessary to understand potential risk factors for experiencing MHA concerns and the experiences of those accessing care,” she adds.
A first in Canada, the team of experts at Sunnybrook’s Family Navigation Project have been helping young people aged 11 to 29 and their families navigate the mental health and addiction system to more easily access and transition through various services in the system. Since 2013, the program has served youth and families in the Greater Toronto Area. But now, in partnership with Compass/Boussole/Akii-Izhinoogan, FNP will soon expand its supports to northern Ontario; the goal of this new navigation service in Sudbury-Manitoulin is to help address some of the issues identified in this study.
“Youth and their families in this region experience difficulties accessing MHA services, with subtle but important differences to what youth and families experience in the GTA. When setting up a new program in this region, it is important to understand and respond to these subtleties,” says Dr. Anthony Levitt, Medical Director of the Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook and a professor of Psychiatry at University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
“The voice of local lived experience is essential to guiding the development and implementation of tailored approaches to MHA navigation and can inform future efforts to resolve MHA care inequities in other remote and rural regions.”
“Families in Northern Ontario deserve access to mental health and addictions care that reflects the realities of our region,” said Mark Fraser, CEO of Compass. “Through our partnership with Sunnybrook, we are enhancing local pathways to care in Sudbury-Manitoulin and helping ensure youth and families are supported within a more connected, community-informed system.”
The study authors note that the prevalence of MHA concerns in youth have increased in recent years across Canada, and this amplifies the need for effective navigation services that guide youth to the appropriate care.