Yet another horrific shooting, leading to the deaths of so many children in Connecticut, has highlighted the need for gun control.

It has also highlighted the disastrous consequences of manhood gone awry in a violence-laden society - an issue often ignored, but equally critical.

Another issue raised by such tragedies concerns the need for early intervention and accessible psychological interventions for those struggling with mental health difficulties, and for the families and public affected by trauma.

It is a misconception that psychological difficulties occur only in the “sick.” 

In truth, only a small minority of those with mental illness are violent, and many who commit acts of violence have had no psychiatric diagnosis. 

Nonetheless, the shooting in Connecticut must lead us to consider the global issue of mental health and the fact that we too often only pay lip service to the need for effective interventions for dealing with psychological difficulties.

Although mass shootings dramatically shine a spotlight on the tragedy of untreated mental illness, the truth is that there commonly are smaller, daily dramas in the lives of many men and women due to psychological issues.

There are many who battle depression and anxiety, whose personal and work lives, too, become embattled. 

One in five Canadians is diagnosed with a mental disorder and the World Health Organization predicts that by 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of disability among all people across the world. 

Over 70 per cent of mental health problems start in childhood or early adolescence, and suicide accounts for 24 per cent of all deaths among 15- to 24-year-olds.

The tragedy here is that there are proven effective interventions that can greatly increase both quality of life and productivity in our society, but are largely unavailable to the majority of Manitobans. 

Although Manitoba Health funds treatment by psychiatrists, the wait times to see these specialists are long.

“ Although mass shootings dramatically shine a spotlight on the tragedy of untreated mental illness, the truth is that there commonly are smaller, daily dramas in the lives of many men and women due to psychological issues.

Moreover, treatment is generally pharmacological - effective for some forms of mental disorders, but certainly not the only available treatment.
The province also funds some counselors through the new Access Centres, but these individuals typically have minimal training in effective treatment.
Even more difficult to access are registered psychologists, doctoral-level mental health experts with at least 10 years of training in assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based psychotherapy. 
The wait for hospital-based psychological services can be one year. There would be an uproar over such wait times for treating physical conditions. 
Effective psychotherapy has been shown to develop insight, teach coping skills and change behaviour, resulting in long-term, meaningful life changes and reduction in symptoms in a wide variety of mental disorders.

The benefits of such treatment far outlast the discontinuation of any medication that might have been prescribed.

Family physicians are only somewhat more accessible, but they tend to be overburdened by the mental health needs of their patients.

Physicians would be delighted to be able to refer to psychologists.

So why is it that the public has so little access to psychologists through our health care system? 

In Manitoba, there are 20 psychologists for every 100,000 citizens. This number is far lower than the Canadian average, which is 47 per 100,000 - which in itself is still low.

Unfortunately, this situation reflects a sentiment that our society’s mental health should take a back seat until disasters, such as the Connecticut massacre, result in a brief flurry of comments about mental illness but little, if any, action.

Part of the reason why our government does not focus on mental health care is that the public doesn’t agitate for increased services. 

There is still stigma involved in speaking up about the challenge of dealing with mental health issues and the need for care. 

So much heartache happens behind closed doors and in silence.

According to Statistics Canada, only one-third of those who need mental health services in Canada actually receive them, and while mental illnesses comprise over 15 per cent of the burden of disease here, they receive only 5.5 per cent of health care dollars.

Yet, mental illness is the second leading cause of disability and premature death.

As emphasized by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, we need to attend to mental health to help people cope with life stressors, fulfill their potential and contribute to society - and we need to do so by funding programs and professionals, such as psychologists.

The World Health Organization says, “There is no health without mental health.” 

In a so-called first world country, access to effective psychological treatment should be a right, not a privilege.

Dr. Teresa Sztaba is a University of Winnipeg alumna, a clinical psychologist in private practice and the executive director of the Manitoba Psychological Society. Visit www.mymh.ca for more information about the campaign to increase the number of psychologists in Manitoba.

Published in Volume 67, Number 15 of The Uniter (January 10, 2013)