Mental health services are being offered too late in Canada, according to experts, and early intervention is crucial to prevent incidents of violence. Jonny Morris, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association in British Columbia, says that waiting for people to reach a certain point in their illness before treatment is no longer enough, and the emphasis must now be on intervening early. Morris’ comments come after an apparent rise in random violence in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, including fatal stabbings. The CEO of Atira Women’s Society, Janice Abbott, concurs, arguing that she has not witnessed a reluctance to provide help to those in need, but rather that it is often too late by the time support arrives.
Studies have shown that most violent incidents are not committed by people with mental illness, and they are more likely to be victims of violence or self-harm. However, there is a moderate association between psychotic disorders and violence, and the risk of violence can increase when mental illness interacts with drug addiction. While there has been a recent focus on treating calls related to mental health as public-health issues rather than criminal justice matters, Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld warns that it is now “manifesting” as crime.
A criminologist and health researcher, Amanda Butler, who co-authored a report with former Vancouver Deputy Police Chief Doug LePard, found that BC’s non-violent crime severity index score went down by 7.55% in 2021, while the violent index score went up by 4.32%. Stranger attacks in Vancouver increased by 35% between 2020 and 2021 when compared with 2019. Twenty per cent of police encounters with those who live with mental illness concerned violent crime, while the remaining 40% was for calls about behavior unrelated to crime, the report found.
Butler cites a 2009 study that found the association between schizophrenia and violent crime is minimal unless the patient is also diagnosed with a substance-use disorder, increasing the risk of violence fourfold. She argues that there needs to be more movement in areas that would directly curb the issue of violence, with a key recommendation being the creation of crisis response and stabilization centers. Morris suggests a threefold solution: providing access to affordable, safe housing; closing care gaps between early and late stages of mental illness; and providing civilian-led response for those in crisis. He stresses that untreated mental illness may increase the risk of violence.
In conclusion, experts in Canada are calling for early intervention to prevent mental illness-related violence. While it is not accurate to portray mental illness as the sole reason for violent acts, untreated illness can increase the risk of violence. There is a need to reduce stigma, but this must not lead to inadequate addressing of violence in the population with mental illness. There is a recommendation for the creation of crisis response and stabilization centers, and it is essential to provide access to affordable, safe housing; close care gaps; and offer civilian-led response for those in crisis.