If you are in distress, please contact your nearest distress centre. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency department
People living with mental illness are twice as likely as other Canadians to experience problematic substance use. These individuals also account for nearly one-third of inpatient mental health admissions.
Currently, service providers supporting people living with mental illness and problematic substance use work across multiple programs and sectors, many of which operate under different funding streams and reporting mechanisms and do not share information.
As a result, people living with mental illness and problematic substance use have difficulty getting the care they need.
Additionally, the MHCC has received funding to examine the risks and benefits related to cannabis use and mental health.
To address this issue we are filling key knowledge gaps in
Cannabis
Mental Health and Cannabis Research
Community-Based Research Projects: Cannabis and Mental Health
Opioids
Stigma and the Opioid Crisis: Final Report
Stigma and the Opioid Crisis: Summary
The Opening Minds Provider Attitudes Toward Opioid Use Scale (OM-PATOS)
Opioid Training for Health-Care Providers Course Catalogue
As we grow to better understand the co-occurring nature of mental health problems and substance use, there is a call to work more closely on providing integrated care. This work is new to the MHCC, and we are building networks and collaborating with partners working across the field. We are currently focusing on the ongoing opioid crisis, which is taking a devastating toll on individuals, families, front-line workers and communities across the country.