The CatalystConversations on Mental Health

Back in the spring, at the height of the pandemic, Donovan Taplin happened to see that the MHCC was seeking a new board director.
Read moreMedical student, peer supporter and mental health champion Armaghan Alam embraces a new challenge.
Read moreA call for communities to join our Roots of Hope Early Adopters initiative.
Read moreHow one group is making strides toward better access to psychotherapy
Read moreFar from business as usual
New toolkit promotes psychologically safe workplaces during COVID-19
Read moreMHCC training responds to the new normal
Going virtual to support essential workers and post-secondary students
Read moreThe heroes behind the masks
“Health-care workers have always been heroes in my eyes,” said Louise Bradley, president and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), herself a registered nurse and former hospital administrator. “But when a once-in-a-generation crisis like COVID-19 arises, we ask even more of an already overextended workforce.”
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COVID-19 shining a light on where we must do better
Don Davies, NDP health critic and member of Parliament for Vancouver-Kingsway, has long known the value of essential workers.
Read moreThe coronavirus pandemic has introduced a long list of reasons to feel anxious. For months the country has been in virtual lockdown, with physical distance separating us from each other and turning the world as we knew it on its head. Now, as the country begins to reopen, new concerns are emerging, and return or re-entry anxiety is setting in for many.
Read moreCatalyst Special Edition – Canada’s minister of health on the challenges of COVID-19
On May 20, I sat down for a candid, wide-ranging virtual discussion with Health Minister Patty Hajdu. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has become a familiar face in living rooms across the country as she faithfully provides daily briefings to keep the people in Canada up to date on the tireless public health response mounted by the federal government.
Read moreLouise Bradley: Make self-acceptance your pandemic priority
COVID-19 has shaken our world like a child’s snow globe. And it’s hard to find our true north when we’ve been pushed outside our comfort zone while a blizzard rages with no end in sight.
Read moreCOVID-19 has wreaked havoc on employment in Canada and abroad. To date, nearly six million people in this country have applied for government emergency benefits to offset their financial burden. That’s almost equivalent to the entire population in the Greater Toronto Area.
Read moreIf there’s any job that relies on the power of interpersonal connection, it’s being a member of Parliament.
Read moreLouise Bradley: Leaning into uncertainty
In these last few years, this is my hardest-won piece of wisdom: vulnerability is our greatest strength.
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Coming together through physical distancing
Almost overnight, physical distancing has become part of the Canadian lexicon. By now, we all know we must distance ourselves from others to slow the spread of COVID-19. But physical separation does not have to diminish social connection. If we’re more mindful in our thoughts and actions, the public health measures keeping us apart have the power to bring us closer together.
Read moreCaring in a crisis
Tuesday, April 7th marks National Caregiver Day, created to recognize the millions of people in Canada who provide unpaid care to loved ones living with disabilities, illnesses, and other special needs. This year, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the day takes on added significance as these carers face unprecedented challenges.
Read moreTalking about suicide saves lives
For the last 30 years, l’Association québecoise de prevention du suicide has devoted the first week in February to fostering conversations on suicide prevention.
Read moreFacing the front lines together
In March, we celebrate Social Work Month and acknowledge the contributions of social workers. Whether they’re connecting someone who has lived experience of substance use to supportive housing, helping a survivor of gender-based violence find accessible childcare options, or working on mental health policies for post-secondary students, no two days are alike.
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