'The orphan's orphan': Lack of mental health help for youth concerns advocate

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is calling on the provincial government to do more for children dealing with mental illness in New Brunswick.

The report, released Tuesday by Child and Youth Advocate Norman Bossé, says data shows the province still relies heavily on hospital-based care for youth mental conditions.

"Yet we know that these interventions are the most costly and the least effective ways of providing services," the report states.

Data from 2015-2016 shows the rate of hospitalization admissions to be 48.8 cases per 10,000. The national rate is 37.7.

The same data also showed children and youth in the province have higher than national rates of hospitalization for depressive episodes, stress reaction and anxiety disorder

"We are concerned that this situation will continue to get worse before it gets better. Our most recent statistics for 2015-2016 show that only half (51 per cent) of the children and youth in the province who look for mental health service get it within 30 days." stated the report. 

12 initiatives

The report continued, stating there are many initiatives being undertaken by the province to improve child and youth mental services.

Twelve are listed:

• Mental health action plan
• Integrated service delivery
• Centre of excellence for complex needs youth
• Research chair in adolescent mental health
• Network of excellence in child and youth mental health services
• ACCESS open minds NB program
• Virtual navigation support centre for youth with complex needs
• ACCESS-MH research grant into patient journeys
• NB XChange knowledge exchange network
• NB provincial forum on mental health
• Atlantic summer institute three-year focus on child and youth mental health
• Strategy for the prevention of harm to children and youth

Of the 12 initiatives, the report makes recommendations in all, focusing on the integrated service delivery, described it as the "most ambitious and broad-ranging systems reform in the area of child and youth services in New Brunswick since the school reforms of the 1960s and the Robichaud government's Equal Opportunity Program."

It calls for the government to ensure an equal playing field for children in many scenarios including children who suffered from neglect and abuse, addiction issues, in conflict with the law, living with disabilities, homeless youth and more.

"True equality for all these children requires intensive and sustained intervention and program supports," the report said.

"For decades we have regretted the fact that mental health services were the orphaned system in health care, and that child and adolescent mental health services are the orphan's orphan. We remain hopeful that those days are over."

Sustainable change 

And while the projects equal $25 million in new spending, the report points out they are often spent on capital costs and project spending and calls on the government to manage the money effectively  so the changes will be sustainable.

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The report points out while the province may have an aging demographic "our youth population in New Brunswick is coping with significant challenges leading to increased demand for mental health services and early intervention and prevention mechanisms are needed now more than ever."

In his conclusion, Bossé said he wants to see a rights-based approach in the approach to child and adolescent mental health service delivery. 

"We encourage the province and service providers to move in this direction, not only because we have a legal and moral obligation to do so, but because we are convinced of the benefits of this culture shift."