The federal government has announced it will invest about $200 million over the next six years to expand mental health services and research for Canada's veterans, members of the military and their families.
The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces also announced that about $16.7 million in ongoing funds will also be made available to support soldiers and veterans.
"It is very important to involve families in the treatment because depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder affects not only the person but the family around them," said psychiatrist Dr. Jitender Sareen.
The new initiatives include the opening of a new Operational Stress Injury clinic in Halifax, set to open in the fall of 2015, the government said in a statement.
The government says the money will go towards education and supporting those living with mental illness as well as prevention.
The funding will be distributed through various different areas including:
- Programs designed to raise awareness about mental health issues and support Canadian Armed Forces members and their families
- Brain-imaging technology, to help researchers diagnose and treat soldiers, as well as technology to help digitize CAF members’ health records
- A new four-year pilot project that will expand access to Military Family Resource Centres at seven different locations across the country
In Winnipeg, Neil Klassen wishes these types of support systems were available for his father, who served in the Second World War. “A lot of animosity going on in the family, so it certainly would’ve (helped),” he said.
Others like Randy Wiltshire, whose father served in Korea, doesn’t feel the government commitment is enough. “The veterans are treated so badly…I guess it’s a start but they still have to make a further commitment,” he said.
The funding will also support research on topics including new treatments for soldiers with mental health conditions, how to transition soldiers from military to civilian life, and veteran suicides and suicide prevention.
