For Ontario’s young, undecided voters, action on mental health is top of mind

With the Ontario election fast approaching, some young people in swing ridings say they remain unsure on who to vote for. But concrete action on mental health could be a deciding factor.

In focus groups held by the nonpartisan organization Future Majority, which focuses on getting out the vote of millennials and Gen Zs in Canada, mental health has emerged as a key ballot issue among young Canadians, alongside affordability and climate action.

The Star spoke with four young undecided voters and volunteers with Future Majority from swing ridings in the Greater Toronto Area, who all detailed why mental health has been top of mind for them and their peers, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. They also spoke on what action they hope to see from politicians. Here’s what they had to say:

In focus groups held by the non-partisan organization Future Majority, young people in key swing ridings around the Greater Toronto Area frequently mentioned mental health as an issue that was top of mind for them heading into the June 2 election. Uploaded external by: Yousif, Nadine

By Yousif, Nadine

SARAH RANA, 21 (Mississauga—Erin Mills)

A University of Toronto student, Rana first tried accessing counselling services through campus during the pandemic. It was more daunting than anticipated.

“It’s a known fact that if you want to access (services on campus), it’s a six-month wait time,” if not more, Rana said, adding that she and her peers have struggled immensely with school throughout COVID-19, in part due to getting sick and dealing with symptoms of burnout.

“I’ve had to drop some courses,” Rana said, forcing her to take on a fifth year of studies to complete her undergraduate degree.

With the election approaching, Rana said she hopes to see a commitment by the parties to spend more on mental health care to increase access and affordability, while decreasing the time people spend waiting for services.

For her, COVID-19 meant loss of needed income after having shifts slashed at her part-time job. It also meant feelings of isolation and anxiety as schoolwork piled on during lockdown.

“We are in a mental health crisis.”

In focus groups held by the non-partisan organization Future Majority, young people in key swing ridings around the Greater Toronto Area frequently mentioned mental health as an issue that was top of mind for them heading into the June 2 election. Uploaded external by: Yousif, Nadine

By Yousif, Nadine

SHIRLEY WANG, 23 (Brampton North)

Wang is gearing up to start law school at McGill University in the fall. She finished her undergraduate studies in 2020, amid the pandemic.

“I graduated in the middle of economic uncertainty and job insecurity,” Wang said, forcing her to move back home to Brampton. “I felt lonelier than ever as the province went into shutdown, and I know that my friends did as well.”

Soon after, she said she contacted general counselling services. The next available appointment was months in the future, and too expensive for the recent graduate.

The experience opened her eyes up to the challenges of affording care in the province. As a remedy, Wang said she would like to see politicians work to increase access, especially to culturally relevant mental health care — meaning counselling and therapy that can meet the unique needs of people based on their experience or background, instead of a blanket approach.

In the focus groups that Wang has participated in, mental health was mentioned often by other young people, and was tied to worries about housing costs and anxiety over climate change.

“One thing that gets brought up time and again is that it’s hard to find someone with whom we can genuinely connect,” Wang said. “Even when we get an appointment, the journey is highly personal, and are we able to access health care that is culturally relevant and that is genuinely helpful?”

In focus groups held by the non-partisan organization Future Majority, young people in key swing ridings around the Greater Toronto Area frequently mentioned mental health as an issue that was top of mind for them heading into the June 2 election. Uploaded external by: Yousif, Nadine

By Yousif, Nadine

ELIJAH SANTANA, 20 (Newmarket-Aurora)

As a student at York University and a spokesperson for the non-partisan group Future Majority, Santana said he is keenly aware of the inequities in mental health-care access and spending.

He referenced how a fifth of Canadians have been diagnosed with a mental illness, and that people aged 15 to 24 are statistically more likely to have a mental illness or struggle with substance use than any other age group.

But wait times for care in Ontario, especially for young people, are very long. Children, in particular, are waiting an average of 67 days for counselling. That increases to 92 days if they seek intensive treatment.

The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation has estimated that mental illness and substance use account for 11 to 15 per cent of Ontario’s disease burden. Yet as of 2015, mental health care spending only made up seven per cent of Ontario’s overall health budget.

“I know people who have been waiting more than a year on the province’s wait list to get therapy,” Santana said, after getting a referral from their family doctor. He added he would like to see the political parties tackle those wait times.

Some parties have proposed increases in funding and training for mental health professionals — all positive steps, Santana said.

In focus groups held by the non-partisan organization Future Majority, young people in key swing ridings around the Greater Toronto Area frequently mentioned mental health as an issue that was top of mind for them heading into the June 2 election. Uploaded external by: Yousif, Nadine

By Yousif, Nadine

JAD EL-GHALI, 21 (Mississauga Centre)

El-Ghali said that for most of his life, mental health was not top of mind. That is, until the pandemic hit.

El-Ghali, a University of Toronto student and researcher at regulatory company Exiger, said some of his most outgoing, eccentric friends “became a shadow” of their former selves. He noticed changes within himself, too, as he began to feel more withdrawn from friends and family.

He said he worries about the lingering impact of the pandemic on young people, partly because “bureaucracy isn’t moving fast enough.”

“It’s good we’re starting to talk about our own experiences and bring mental health to the limelight, but we need politicians to actually put in investments,” El-Ghali said, adding that timely access to mental health care should be a right for all Canadians.

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND

All four of the major political parties have made promises on advancing access to mental health care in Canada: The Progressive Conservatives, led by Doug Ford, have pointed to their “Roadmap to Wellness” plan, which involves spending $3.8 billion over 10 years to bolster services in Ontario, in part through building on existing infrastructure and targeting at-risk professions, like front-line workers.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s New Democratic Party, led by Andrea Howarth, is promising to bring mental health care under OHIP coverage, meaning anyone with a health card could access therapy and other non-psychiatric services free of charge. It is also promising to spend $130 million specifically on children’s mental health, with a focus on reducing wait times for care to 30 days or less.

The Ontario Liberals, led by Steven Del Duca, said they will train 3,000 new mental health and addictions professionals and hire 1,000 more to reduce wait times for children, while also having mental health experts available through emergency rooms and 9-1-1 dispatch centres. Another promise is to make private businesses offer mental health services through their benefits plan, and increase mental health education in schools.

The Green Party of Ontario, led by Mike Schreiner, touts its plan as one focused on accessibility, affordability and comprehensive care. Like the NDP, the Greens want to expand mental health care under OHIP and reduce wait times for children seeking care. The Greens also want to boost mental health spending to 10 per cent of the overall health budget.