Canada’s approach to suicide prevention is broken

The ceaseless beat of suicide and the tragedy it unleashes echo across Canada day after day. Every 24 hours, 11 Canadians take their own lives. Four thousand die by suicide, and another 100,000 attempt suicide every year. And here’s another shocker: If Nunavut were a country, it would have the highest rate of male suicide in the world. Canada should be doing everything it can to prevent suicide. But the fact is we’re not doing nearly as much as many other countries. And the status quo is simply not acceptable. That reality has come into sharp focus for me in recent months. I have been campaigning for a new idea that can make it faster and easier for those facing a mental health crisis to get help. It’s a new, easy-to-remember three-digit number, 988, for the national suicide crisis hotline that would replace Canada’s existing 11-digit hotline. Think of it as 911 for the brain. That new three-digit hotline system is about to be rolled out in the United States. The move has the full support of the mental health community and, surprisingly, the blessing of the U.S. Congress on a rare bipartisan basis. Experts like the idea because it will get help to people faster when seconds count. The American Psychiatric Association says it will also help reduce the stigma that too often prevents people in crisis from coming forward. But, in stark contrast to the strong support of U.S. politicians for 988 in that country, Canada’s federal leaders don’t seem the least bit interested in it. Over the past six months, I’ve repeatedly reached out to the prime minister, the minister of health, and key cabinet ministers with responsibility for Indigenous communities and other populations at disproportionately high risk for suicide. Even after CTV National News anchor Lisa LaFlamme called 988 “three numbers that could make all the difference,” they’ve been completely silent on the subject. Dig a little deeper and you’ll discover that Canada is off-side on a lot of practices other countries have adopted. The World Health Organization said a national suicide prevention strategy is essential for combating suicide. The U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and dozens of other countries have one. Canada does not. In fact, Canada is the only member of the G7 without such a strategy. Richard Ramsay, one of Canada’s most respected experts in suicide prevention, told me advocates have been calling for a made-in-Canada national strategy for more than 30 years. Having a national strategy has been shown to be an indispensable building block in suicide prevention. In 2016, the United Kingdom set a national goal of reducing suicides by 10 per cent over the next four years. In 2018, its suicide rate was the lowest on record. True, Canada has something it calls a federal framework for suicide prevention. But it’s missing so many essential components that the framework is little more than a faint hologram of what a real strategy looks like and does. One of the benefits of a national strategy is that it typically reflects a strong political will to combat suicide. On that front, you have to really wonder about Canada’s commitment. During the two English party leaders’ debates of the 2019 federal election, the subject of suicide was not raised even once. Nor is the word suicide mentioned in the mandate letter for the federal minister of health, which was issued following the election. By contrast, the United Kingdom has formally recognized the urgency of suicide as a public health crisis in that country by designating a minister of health whose responsibilities include suicide prevention in her title. Other shortcomings stand out. The Public Health Agency of Canada, the federal body that has been given the lead for suicide prevention, doesn’t even display the number for Canada’s existing 11-digit suicide prevention crisis line on its website. In fact, you have to really dig to find suicide mentioned anywhere on the agency’s site. Even then, the one and only reference is to a study published 16 years ago. We have to do better. Canada should immediately set in motion the process that will lead to the transition to the 988 national suicide prevention hotline. But beyond that, we need a more comprehensive approach to preventing suicide. That’s why I’m calling for the creation of a national roundtable on suicide prevention with funding from the federal government. With representation from key stakeholders, including suicide survivors, families of loved ones taken by suicide, Indigenous and First Nations leaders, mental health advocates, and clinical experts, and leaning heavily on virtual technology and social media, the roundtable would engage Canadians in a frank and robust discussion across the country. Its mission would be to raise awareness about the mental health crisis of suicide in Canada, seek out the best prevention ideas at home and around the world, like 988, and produce the schema for a world-class suicide prevention strategy that sets out national goals, timelines for achievement, and reliable funding commitments. Since I began my campaign to bring 988 to Canada, I‘ve heard from dozens of people who have lost loved ones to suicide. I am one myself. We all want to see Canada become what it should be: A world leader in preventing suicide and a champion for a more healing and compassionate approach to mental health issues. It’s time for our politicians to show the leadership to make that happen. Kathleen Finlay is a sexual trauma and mental health advocate and founder of The 988 Campaign for Canada. The Hill Times

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Canada’s approach to suicide prevention is broken

We need a new conversation, and phone number, to find solutions and build a national strategy to save lives.

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