A recent study shows that while Manitoba youth have above average access to family doctors, they're lacking access to mental health and addictions care.
The comparative study out of Simon Fraser University placed Manitoba alongside four other provinces -- Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
The study found Manitoba ranked well with access for people with mental illness to family doctors, but it said youth in this province attempted suicide at a higher rate than the other four studied provinces.
“What we found were striking variations in access and outcomes of care, and a concerning theme of poor access to mental health and addictions care among youth,” says Paul Kurdyak, co-author of the study, psychiatrist and scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario.
James Bolton, associate professor and director of research in the department of psychiatry at University of Manitoba's Max Rady College of Medicine, hopes the study will result in more conversation and an advisory council to address mental health addictions issues.
“We found that youth with mental illness and addictions across Canada are struggling and not having their needs properly met,” says Bolton. "I hope to see more resources dedicated to suicide prevention among young people in Manitoba."
