In Ottawa, the city that's been diagnosed as the "depression capital of Canada," the wait time to be assessed for a mood disorder at the city's marquee mental health treatment centre has now grown to one year.
Dr. Raj Bhatla, chief of psychiatry at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, says there is an "urgent need" to cut the 12-month waiting list for people suffering from depression, bi-polar disorder and other related conditions.
The Royal Ottawa has committed to cutting the wait time in half to six months. But without new funding and with a shortage of psychiatrists, all the centre can do is "an internal rejigging" that will "cut into the ability" of psychiatrists to provide longer-term treatment, Bhatla said.
These revelations have caused concern.
"It's unconscionable to deny people timely access to psychiatric assessment and care," said Bill Wilkerson, co-founder of the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health.
"I happen to think that Dr. Bhatla is one of the most talented, progressive psychiatrists I know of anywhere. That is a very credible source. And I think this is an honest appraisal of the situation," Wilkerson said in an interview.
"If the leadership of the Royal Ottawa, whose heart is as big as its scientific capabilities, is conceding wait lists are a problem then I think the government of Canada, as an employer, and the province of Ontario, as a provider of services, must wake up and pay attention."
