Advocates say that the delay in mental health transfers is a factor in the emergency room crisis in Canada

The “crisis” in Canada’s emergency rooms is being caused, in part, by a lack of urgency to improve & expand access to mental health & addictions care across the nation, according to advocates. Mental health patients in need of assistance frequently have nowhere else to turn but an ER.

The Liberals promised a new $4.5 billion mental health transfer during the last federal election, but it has since stalled, according to a group of more than 35 organisations that represent doctors, mental health professionals, and organisations that support Canadians suffering from mental health, addictions, and poverty-related issues.

Due to gaps in publicly funded services, emergency departments are seeing an increase in the number of patients in crisis, as it is their only option for those without private insurance, according to Margaret Eaton, national CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).