The thought process behind this

My father came up with this idea. He dubbed it getting a yearly `checkup from the head up’. 

The idea is to get a mental  health checkup  as part of our yearly health checkup. As the world has opened their eyes on how our mental health affects millions daily, it’s about time that we all take our mental wellbeing more seriously.

Do we know that there’s something wrong? Most people don’t. They shrug off their mental health as having a bad day or them just being in a mood. They don’t really know that they might be depressed or anxious or even suicidal. With these new yearly exams, the therapist will look at your overall state and determine if you’re on the right, happy track. Much like how a doctor gives you a look over to make sure you’re in top top shape.

Let's look at some facts about mental health in Canada

According to CAMH,  70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence. It’s imperative that our youth get a regular mental health checkup to make sure that they’re alright. 

Also from CAMH, they say “mental and physical health are linked. People with a long-term medical condition such as chronic pain are much more likely to also experience mood disorders. Conversely, people with a mood disorder are at much higher risk of developing a long-term medical condition.”

Canadians in the lowest income group are 3 to 4 times more likely than those in the highest income group to report poor to fair mental health.

Studies in various Canadian cities indicate that between 23% and 67% of homeless people report having a mental illness.

 

Mental illness is a leading cause of disability in Canada.8,9,10

People with mental illness and addictions are more likely to die prematurely than the general population. Mental illness can cut 10 to 20 years from a person’s life expectancy.11

The disease burden of mental illness and addiction in Ontario is 1.5 times higher than all cancers put together and more than 7 times that of all infectious diseases. This includes years lived with less than full function and years lost to early death.12

Tobacco, the most widely used addictive substance, is the leading cause of premature mortality in Canada. Smoking is responsible for nearly 17% of all deaths.13

Among Ontarians aged 25 to 34, 1 of every 8 deaths is related to opioid use.14

 

 

On a per-capita basis, suicide rates in Canada are on a downward trend. They peaked in 1983 at 15.1 deaths per 100,000 people (compared to 11.0 per 100,000 in 2016—the latest year for which these data are available).

In Ontario about 2% of adults and 14% of high-school students report having seriously contemplated suicide in the past year. 4% of high-school students report having attempted suicide.

More than 75% of suicides involve men, but women attempt suicide 3 to 4 times more often.

More than half of suicides involve people aged 45 or older.

In 2016, suicide accounted for 19% of deaths among youth aged 10 to 14, 29% among youth aged 15 to 19, and 23% among young adults aged 20-24.

After accidents, it is the second leading cause of death for people aged 15-24.

First Nations youth die by suicide about 5 to 6 times more often than non-Aboriginal youth. Suicide rates for Inuit youth are among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average.

 

What your signature will help us do

As you can see the importance of having everyone checked out mentally is important for us to make sure that these states don’t continue to rise.

This petition will give those in charge an idea on how we all want to make our mental health as important as our physical health. This will let therapists give patients 30 or 45 minute sessions once a year. 

Make your voice heard, make it so we can ALL get a yearly checkup from the head up.

 

#checkupfromtheheadup  

 

For more information & media inquiries please contact Shane Haniff at hostshane@gmail.com or DM @famefriends