Media Enquiries: Stephen Hendrie, Director of Communications, Tel: 613.277.3178, hendrie@itk.ca
Media Release
Inuit Call for Increased Mental Wellness Programs Throughout the Arctic
Oct. 6, 2009, - Ottawa, Ontario — National Inuit Leader Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), called on the federal government today to commit federal funding for culturally relevant mental wellness programs across the Arctic.
“Inuit face unique barriers to mental health care, including a profound lack of health professionals, which leads to tragic delays in treatment,” said Mary Simon. “We need centres that can offer diagnoses, treatment and after-care for all Inuit, from youth to adults to elders to families, in a way that is respectful to our traditions and our needs.”
Simon’s words coincide with Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 4-10), a national public awareness campaign to draw attention to the realities of mental illness in Canada.
Increased support for Inuit mental wellness programs is one of the recommendations of the Alianait Inuit Mental Wellness Action Plan, a draft document prepared by a multi-party committee including representatives from land claims organizations, territorial, provincial and federal governments and national Inuit organizations. The final document is slated for release in 2010.
“Mental wellness” is an all-inclusive term encompassing mental health, mental illness, suicide prevention, violence reduction, and reduction of substance abuse and addictions. In an Inuit context, the term refers to self-esteem and personal dignity flowing from the presence of a harmonious physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellness and cultural identity.
The Alianait plan outlines a series of goals for communities in each of the four Inuit regions (Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit region of the NWT). They include ensuring a continuum of culturally relevant mental wellness programs encompassing traditional/cultural and clinical approaches; and securing Inuit-specific data and research on mental wellness.
Data outlining service gaps are slim. For communities to make informed choices, more research is needed, specifically addressing Inuit needs and Inuit perspectives on mental wellness.
Yet Inuit are a resilient people and, over time, have developed a slate of community-driven counselling programs, many of them incorporating knowledge from elders. The plan also seeks to build on existing channels of support and to recognize and strengthen the role of communities in providing care.
For more information:
Contact: Stephen Hendrie, Director of Communications
Tel: 613.277.3178, hendrie@itk.ca
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