How Public Mental Healthcare is Affected By The Pandemic

Live conversation with Dr. Connie Scuccimarri, co-founder of the Coalition of Psychologists from the Quebec Public Network focused on how mental healthcare & mental illness are being impacted by the pandemic, how to support your mental health and how to seek support.

The mental health care system is drained during the pandemic, as more Montrealers are in need of mental health support. In November of 2020, 19,000 people were on a waiting list to receive mental health support. We discuss how the pandemic has created a decline in the mental health of many and how we can provide more funding to mental health services.

Dr. Scuccimarri discusses having to put her clients on a waiting list, how the pandemic has affected her job and overall the mental healthcare system,

She also discusses how she would like to see the public mental healthcare system improved, which requires more funding being provided to this system by the Quebec government. She says only 25% of graduates in the mental health sector apply to public jobs, leaving a gap in the positions in Quebec's public sector.

She also discussed specifics in mental health, including childhood trauma, as she is a Pediatric Psychologist at the Montreal Children's Hospital. She also discussed burn out, depression, social anxiety and where to seek support for this.

This conversation was originally hosted on CUTV's Facebook live. This is following the release of episode 3 of Local 514, focused on how mental health and the mental healthcare system is being affected by the pandemic. To watch the full episode, click here.