Retired psychiatrist wants to 'weep or scream' over care for mentally ill youth
About 10 years ago, Dr. David Addleman helped the provincial government develop recommendations to transform mental health services for young people in New Brunswick.
Today, Addleman says, it takes all his skills not to "weep or scream" when he hears people talk about helping young people in New Brunswick deal with mental health problems.
Despite the efforts of some people, there's still a lack of support for those trying to get better, he said.
He said he thanked God when he heard a youth mental health centre now under construction in Campbellton was put on hold earlier this month. The decision came after the provincial ombud delivered a critical analysis of the Restigouche psychiatric hospital in Campbellton and recommended cancelling the youth centre.
"I was relieved for years when I saw a hole in the ground there, and then I was discouraged when I saw construction starting, and I'm glad that there's been some sober second thought being applied about that," Addleman said.
"Certainly, there are needs for a way of evaluating and treating children and young people who are very difficult to manage in the community."
Addleman and other doctors worked on a document 10 years ago, called "Out of the Shadows at Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Addiction Services in Canada," to coax the provinces to take a look at their own systems.
In response, Michael McKee, at the time a provincial court judge, was asked to come up with recommendations to transform mental health services in New Brunswick.
Addleman said "some things" have been done since McKee's report, which included calls for more emphasis on early intervention, income support, and keeping people out of the legal system.
"I certainly would not say that it's just gathering dust not doing anything," Addleman said of the report in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton.
"I think some really big efforts were made by very dedicated people at all levels, government and outside government."
Institutions not a solution
But Addleman said he was up late Wednesday night wondering why the system isn't working.
"I think it may be simply a matter of quantity. That although the task is identified, the plan is identified, there's not enough people to do it."
More psychiatrists won't necessarily fix the problem, Addleman said. He said the biggest problem is finding a supportive place for those suffering.
"There's no doubt that putting people in institutions is not a solution to the problem."
Suggests politics an issue
Addleman said the best solution is training people to understand those who are suffering, with an ultimate goal of recovery.
He said it's possible for New Brunswick to set up a system that provides community care and allows young people to recover.
"What gets in the way? Why does it not happen? That's the questions I've been asking myself," he said.
"And I think it's when it gets translated to the political sphere, when somebody has to make a decision on what's the priority going to be, how much money are we going to spend on this. That's where I think there's a breakdown."
