Saturday marks World Mental Health Day and OPSEU/SEFPO has a critical role to play in raising awareness about mental illness, combating stigma, and pushing for improved mental health supports.
Through our battles for better wages, improved health and safety, and stronger welfare benefits, we are not only fighting for better working conditions but for a more just society where mental health is a priority.
Ensuring that the more than 8000 OPSEU/SEFPO members working in Mental Health and Addictions are well-resourced and shielded from burnout and moral injury promotes mental health. So does fighting privatization in hospitals and community health centres and pushing for funding in our school boards and cultural institutions. Across all sectors, we continue to push for healthy and vibrant communities knowing that community health and mental health are deeply intertwined.
Currently, many school children are still reeling from the fear and isolation of the pandemic. In Ontario, the average woman earns just $0.68 for every dollar a man makes and nearly half of Canadians are living paycheck to paycheck. Recently, experts at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health highlighted the growing number of youth engaged in online gambling and sports betting. The warning signs, they observed, include “chasing losses, borrowing money, withdrawing from family or school activities and becoming angry when access is limited.” Clearly, our work is more important than ever.
This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day is “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.” As trade unionists with lived experience both personally and professionally with navigating mental health, we urge you to engage in conversations about mental health within your communities, continue breaking down stigma, and keep fighting for a world where care, justice and mental health are daily priorities.