Until recently, mental health disorders in Canada have always been associated with adults. However, it is now known that 10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental health problem (CMHA). Youth suffer from mental health disorders such as depression, severe anxiety, conduct disorders, bulimia, anorexia, ADHD, and manic depression. There is also an increasing awareness of this issue, and as a result, more youth are seeking help and reaching out to their families and professionals for treatment. However, with the exceptionally small number of child psychiatrists in Canada and the demand for youth treatment being so high and increasing steadily, the wait times to get help and treatment is slowly increasing as well (Spencer, "A new frontier..."). By having at least 10 full-time certified child and adolescent psychiatrists within every hospital across the nation, Canadian youth will not only be able to obtain and afford the treatment they need more easily, but the time spent waiting for it would significantly decrease.

I will be sending this petition, as well as a document regarding my proposition to have a minimum of 10 child and adolescent psychiatrists in every hospital nationwide, to The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health for Canada. She will then be able to pass it on through Parliament. Her proposition would be to allocate more funds into each Province/Territories healthcare budget for the purpose of increased hospital funding for the psychiatric departments.

To learn more about the need for child and adolescent psychiatrists, go to http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/6234893-a-ne...