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    Promoting Mental Health Across The Lifespan

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    Promoting Mental Health Across The Lifespan

    Uploaded by

    catemwika1
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    Promoting Mental Health Across the Lifespan

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    1 views5 pages

    Promoting Mental Health Across The Lifespan

    Uploaded by

    catemwika1

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    1

    Promoting Mental Health Across the Lifespan: A Reflection on Wellness Together Canada

    Student

    Institutions

    Course

    Instructor

    Date
    2

    Promoting Mental Health Across the Lifespan: A Reflection on Wellness Together Canada

    Mental Health Commission of Canada has developed an initiative that focuses on

    ensuring better mental health in the country’s healthcare system. In its change directions,

    changing lives MHCC outlined six broad strategic directions to improve mental health support in

    various communities (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2012). Out of these, I selected the

    direction that is on ‘the promotion of mental health throughout the life span’ given its importance

    in ensuring that persons receive support in school, workplaces and homes continuously. This

    direction understands that one cannot be mentally healthy at all times, and that stress varies with

    certain ages. To back this vision, I selected Wellness Together Canada, a federal program that

    provides mental health and substance use support for Canadians of all ages. I was drawn to this

    program due to its accessibility, free-of-cost services, and comprehensive support across various

    demographics.

    Description of Wellness Together Canada

    Wellness Together Canada is a mental health and substance use website for people across

    Canada to access digital intervention and services free of charge (Basnet & Chaiton, 2024). It

    provides Canadians the opportunities to get counseling, self-assessments, educational materials,

    and even peer support. It targets clients of all age groups including young people to the elderly,

    thus fulfilling MHCC’s vision of healthy minds for life. This program was created due to

    increasing mental health demands in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada (Basnet &

    Chaiton, 2024). The program was funded by the Government of Canada and proposed to offer

    mental health services as soon as possible in stressed and isolated communities. It is still a source

    of hope for Canadians, especially those from rural areas who may barely get to access

    conventional face-to-face mental health care.


    3

    Alignment with Strategic Direction

    This initiative aligns with MHCC’s strategic blueprint of promoting mental well-being at

    every stage of the life cycle. Wellness Together Canada focuses on mental health support and

    offers materials adapted to the specific age categories. For instance, its online platform provides

    guidance resources for student, parents and working adults on how to deal with stress and

    anxiety. Crisis support options also have a preventive function as it gives people an opportunity

    to get assistance before their mental condition deteriorates. Wellness Together Canada makes the

    service accessible and available for everyone, and no one is left with no help because they cannot

    afford it or cannot travel to a certain area. This model of mental health is congruent with

    MHCC’s vision of a world where people have equitable access to and timely receipt of mental

    health services.

    Community Impact

    Wellness Together Canada has had a massive impact on several communities across

    Canada, and this has been so ever since it was founded. In the context of the COVID pandemic,

    the program was actively used by people as they expected affordable and immediate help to

    address their mental health issues. It benefited the society by offering services free of charge thus

    helping those who would otherwise not afford to seek help. Several of the participants mentioned

    how the program helps to address the problem of bringing mental health resources to those

    people who live in the areas where there are not enough health care facilities. Research indicates

    that it is helpful for numerous clients to have another choice to face-to-face therapy, particularly

    in the environment of the present social isolation and heightened stress.

    Recommendations for Improvement


    4

    However, there are certain aspects that Wellness Together Canada can still enhance.

    There is scope for the program to extend its program; they might increase the options available to

    users, for instance a customized plan of what the user might need to do in the following week or

    periods of time, and user feedback more commonly. Furthermore, providing more in-person

    counseling along with digital assistance could be a more integrated approach to patient treatment.

    A further improvement would be to minimize wait times for counseling where at times, it has

    been observed as an issue, making the service even more efficient in offering immediate help.

    Connections to Course Readings

    First, the emphasis on accessibility in mental health care is one of the main priorities of

    mental health policies in Canada, which is also in line with Wellness Together Canada available

    online that delivers mental health care straight to people’s homes. Second, preventative service

    should be the cornerstone, as the early intervention and sustained follow throughout the human

    development cycle minimize the lasting effects of these disabilities. Organizationally, such

    approach of this initiative has important implications regarding the potential ways of delivering

    preventative mental health services at different age stages of the Canadian population.

    In conclusion, Wellness Together Canada is a positive shift towards creating mental

    wellbeing across the continuum. Through offering easier and enhanced services, it helps Canada

    inch closer to fulfilling the MHCC’s vision of a society that promotes mental health throughout

    the life course. This program might be improved and extended to make the support of mental

    health issues an unchangeable part of the Canadians’ lives.


    5

    References

    Basnet, S., & Chaiton, M. (2024). Effectiveness of the Wellness Together Canada Portal as a

    Digital Mental Health Intervention in Canada: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled

    Trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 13(1), e48703. https://doi.org/10.2196/48703

    Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2012). Mental Health Strategy for Canada. Mental

    Health Commission of Canada. https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/what-we-do/mental-

    health-strategy-for-canada/

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