Suicide is a major, sometimes hidden, public health concern in Canada.
Pain, fear and despair overwhelm hope. It is almost always preventable through caring, compassion, commitments and community. Preventing suicides and supporting those who have experienced a loss is what what we need to know.
We are Canadians working to reduce suicide and its impact in Canada. We want to end the silence. We want to ease the suffering, to heal our communities and our neighbours, as we have healed ourselves. We are survivors of loss. Among us, we have lost children, parents, family member, neighbours, friends, patients. We want to end the silence and prevent others from experiencing such loss.
The CASP Blueprint for Canadian National Suicide Prevention Strategy was prepared by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention with other organizations and individuals. Many countries have developed national strategies to reduce suicide, often with the leadership of Canadian experts. Why was Canada so slow in moving forward on this most pressing of public health issues?
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY ONE GIANT STEP CLOSER TO BECOMING REALITY
On October 4th the House of Commons overwhelmingly passed a non partisan motion in support of a national suicide prevention strategy. The actual motion is printed below.
September 29, 2011 – Mr. Rae (Toronto Centre) <http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/GetWebOptionsCallBack.aspx?SourceSystem=PRISM&ResourceType=Affiliation&ResourceID=170592&language=1&DisplayMode=2> – That the House agree that suicide is more than a personal tragedy, but is also a serious public health issue and public policy priority; and, further, that the House urge the government to work cooperatively with the provinces, territories, representative organizations from First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people, and other stakeholders to establish and fund a National Suicide Prevention Strategy, which among other measures would promote a comprehensive and evidence-driven approach to deal with this terrible loss of life.
29 septembre 2011 – M. Rae (Toronto-Centre) <http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/GetWebOptionsCallBack.aspx?SourceSystem=PRISM&ResourceType=Affiliation&ResourceID=170592&language=1&DisplayMode=2> – Que la Chambre convienne que le suicide n’est pas qu’une tragédie personnelle, mais qu’il constitue aussi un grave problème de santé publique et une priorité sur le plan politique; et que la Chambre prie le gouvernement de travailler de concert avec les provinces, les territoires, des représentants des Premières Nations, des Inuits et des Métis et d’autres intervenants afin de mettre sur pied et de financer une Stratégie nationale de prévention du suicide, qui ferait, entre autres, la promotion d’une démarche complète et axée sur la recherche pour se pencher sur cette terrible façon de mourir.
(Read CASP’S written response to MP’s following this unprecedented and landmark vote)
For immediate release: November 15, 2011
Physician and Patient Organizations Laud
Parliamentary Report on Palliative and End-of-Life Care
Ottawa, Nov. 17, 2011 – The Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention today commended the report of a Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate care that calls for the development of a National Palliative and End-of-Life Care Strategy for Canada.
“End-of-life care is an area of our health care system that requires urgent attention,” said CMA President Dr. John Haggie. “In fact, when it comes to patient- or family-centred palliative care, there is no system. We therefore commend this committee’s efforts and hope its recommendations serve as a catalyst for governments to act.”
The CMA has urged governments to work toward a common end-of-life care strategy that would ensure that all Canadians have equitable access to and adequate standards for end-of-life care. It was one of many organizations that provided input to the Committee.
“We are particularly pleased that it is helping to raise awareness of the issue of elder abuse and neglect of older women and men in Canada. At the present, a patchwork of health, social and justice programs across the country exists and progress is being made. But to help more effectively, awareness, better understanding of the underlying factors and appropriate resources must go hand in hand,” said Charmaine Spencer, co-chair of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.
Ms. Dammy Damstrom-Albach, President of the board of the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, said: “We commend the committee for recognizing the importance of suicide prevention in the context of palliative care and for the inclusion of a recommendation for the establishment of a National Suicide Prevention Strategy. This is a step in the right direction. Given a similar motion just passed almost unanimously in the House of Commons what we need now is for the federal government to take these ideas forward..”
Said Dr. Haggie: “This report demonstrates the kind of non-partisan collaboration and cooperation that are needed if we’re to ensure our most vulnerable patients can live out their final days in dignity and that their caregivers receive the meaningful supports to allow this to happen.
“If we fix palliative care, we can use the same paradigm to transform the rest of the health care system.”
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is the national voice of Canadian physicians. Founded in 1867, CMA’s mission is to serve and unite the physicians of Canada and be the national advocate, in partnership with the people of Canada, for the highest standards of health and health care. The CMA is a voluntary professional organization representing over 74,000 of Canada’s physicians and comprising 12 provincial and territorial medical associations and 51 national medical organizations.
The Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of the abuse of older people in Canada. Founded in 1998, it has been federally incorporated since 2000.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) also a national non-profit organization was incorporated in 1985 by a group of professionals who saw the need to provide information and resources to communities to reduce the suicide rate and minimize the harmful consequences of suicidal behaviour.
For more information:
Lucie Boileau
Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Medical Association
lucie.boileau@cma.ca
Tel: 800-663-7336 / 613-731-8610, ext. 1266
Cell: 613-447-0866
Charmaine Spencer
Co-Chair
Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
Tel: 778-558-0715
Tim Wall
Executive Director
Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention
Tel: 204-784 4073
