Last month, the Canadian Medical Association released a comprehensive report on Canadian public health: Health care in Canada: What makes us sick?
The CMA spent months consulting with Canadians throughout the country in public town hall meetings—and through online consultation—asking them four questions:
- What factors beyond the health care system influence health?
- What initiatives offset the negative impact of these determinants?
- What should governments and health care providers be doing to address these social determinants?
- How can we achieve equal access for all to the health care system?
As they listened to the responses, they noticed four social determinants of health that participants identified in every phase of the consultation:
- Income
- Housing
- Nutrition and food security
- Early childhood development
In addition, several themes emerged from the town hall meetings. The following were those related to mental health.
- Poverty can cause multiple morbidities and even influence early childhood neurologic development.
- Mental health issues remain “the elephant in the room” and underlie many of the social determinants of health.
- Social inequities are a major cause of stress and insecurity.
One of the panelists found some data that suggested guaranteed basic income resulted in fewer physician visits:
One of the panelists discussed her research into the guaranteed income program in Dauphin, Manitoba in the 1970s. Through Mincome (also known as the Guaranteed Minimum IncomeExperiment), eligible individuals would receive a guaranteed basic income through a refundable tax credit program. Using provincial Medicare data to assess the use of health care resources by people involved in the program, it was found that during the Mincome period, hospitalization rates fell, the number of physician visits dropped because of a substantial reduction in mental health complaints, and the number of accidents and injuries decreased dramatically.
It is an important report to read, and it draws a strong connection between poverty, diet, and mental health.