Community group encouraged by Manitoba funding boost for mindfulness-based therapy

A community-based organization in Winnipeg's northwest is praising additional investments in a mindfulness-based therapy that is being expanded to reach more people, amid increased need for mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manitoba is committing $700,000 for a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy hub, the province announced Wednesday. The funding will allow the centre to extend access online and expand services.

"We've seen the need for these kind of services increase over the course of the pandemic," said Rebecca Blaikie, executive director of Norwest Co-op Community Health, which has been offering mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy therapy for several years.

"We've seen the positive impact that access to this therapy has on the quality of life of our community members. We're excited to see what this expanded access will mean for our community."

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, also known as CBTm, incorporates principles of mindfulness to help participants build skills to better cope with stressful life situations, the province says.

It has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep, develop emotional regulation techniques and help manage other mental health challenges, Manitoba's mental health minister said Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference, Sarah Guillemard said the additional funding will help reduce barriers to the services. It will help hospital and community-based sites develop access to virtual facilitator-led CBTm classes or self-directed web-based courses, she said.

Manitoba invested $300,000 last year in the cognitive therapy hub amid increased need, though the program was developed well before the pandemic, said Guillemard.

The hope is to train 70 to 100 additional mindfulness-based cognitive therapy facilitators and recruit between 700 and 1,000 Manitobans to utilize the service over the next year, said the medical lead of mental health and addiction with Shared Health, which co-ordinates health-care services in Manitoba.

Dr. Jitender Sareen said cognitive behavioural therapy is often considered the "gold-standard" treatment for a variety of issues. CBT and mindfulness-based therapies help practitioners become more resilient in the face of stressful life events, including people who do not live with mental illness, he added.

"It is the most researched and well-recognized of all psychotherapies and has been shown to be effective in the treatment in all mental disorders and substance use conditions," Sareen said at the Wednesday news conference.

The five-week program provides seven-and-a-half hours of CBTm therapy and was first developed in 2017.

During its first year, the program targeted adults. Moving forward, it will be expanded to youth 14 to 17.

Shay-Lee Bolton, an assistant professor in the departments of psychiatry and community health sciences at the University of Manitoba, called the funding a "critical investment" in Manitobans' mental health. 

"The CBTm hub will create the foundation for cutting edge mental health research in this province," said Bolton.

Bolton says the team has already scientifically proven CBTm is effective at reducing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, including in those who are already managing the challenges of everyday life well.

That work was done before the pandemic. Bolton suggested varying groups might benefit differently from the updated virtual offerings, which is why it will be important to track effectiveness across different segments of the population and make adjustments accordingly.

The program has also received national and provincial funding for tailored programs for physicians, public safety personnel and peripartum women, said Bolton. It may also be applied for nurses, seniors, youth and Indigenous populations.

Bolton said the new funding will also support French translation of the services.

More than 50 hospitals and community-based programs have received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training and programming over the past five years, Guillemard said. 

"[It] aims to build resilience, improve mental health wellness and improve access to mental health services," she said.

Have you utilized mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy in Manitoba? Email bryce.hoye@cbc.ca.