Statement From Mental Health Commission of Canada
On this, the 10th Bell Let’s Talk Day, the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) congratulates Bell Canada for its visionary leadership on mental health and urges everyone across the country to join this game-changing annual conversation.
Over the past decade, Bell Let’s Talk has made major strides in reducing the stigma around mental illness, sparking a paradigm shift reaching from Cranbrook, B.C. to Corner Brook, N.L. Building on this momentum, Bell is using its sizeable influence to help us move beyond the talking phase.
Expanding the campaign’s focus — from opening conversations to opening doors to improved services — is a natural progression. It speaks to the overwhelming desire of nearly nine in ten people in Canada to have increased funding for mental health services. Last week, in partnership with Nanos Research, the MHCC released polling data that shows what matters most to people when it comes to mental health. Whether it’s suicide prevention or addressing the needs of youth, 85 per cent said mental health care is as important as physical health care.
Taking bold, positive action is a familiar concept for the change makers behind Bell Let’s Talk. Former president and CEO George Cope’s commitment to corporate citizenship is well recognized, as is the leadership of Bell Let’s Talk chair Mary Deacon, who has helped reframe our nation’s understanding of mental health as legitimate and treatable.
Today, Bell asks that we join the conversation. Tomorrow, the MHCC implores everyone to keep it going. If we build on the momentum gained over the past decade, we can help create radically positive change in the next.
Louise Bradley
President and CEO, Mental Health Commission of Canada
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