Mental Health and Faith 101

1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness or addiction within their lifetime. Mental illness impacts 1 in 12 people worldwide. 70% of all mental illnesses have their onset before age 35. 3.2 million young people are at risk of developing depression between the age of 12 and 19. Canada’s youth suicide rate is the 3rd highest in the industrial world, and Niagara Region has one of the highest suicide rates in all of Ontario. 11% of men in Canada will experience major depression in their lifetime and 9% of Canadian men have an anxiety disorder. 7% of all seniors suffer from depression.

Mental Illness can range from a mood disorders, disorders of thought like schizophrenia, trauma-based disorders like PTSD, or relational challenges. While people tend to discriminate against persons with mental illness, mental illness discriminates against NO ONE. It doesn’t care about your ethnicity, your social standing, your economic, marital, or educational status. It doesn’t care about your faith. Mental illness can impact anyone at any time.

This course is designed to equip faith-based communities with the knowledge and skills they need to support people with mental illness and to make their houses of worship and their communities safe spaces for everyone who wants to pursue their relationship with God.

In this course package:

1. Three video lessons: Part One, the WHY; Part Two, the WHAT, and Part Three, the HOW.
2. Handouts for each lesson
3. Quiz to be completed as you work through Part Two
4. Supplementary materials - links and reference content