Canadian government invests in the psychological health of its citizens
The federal and provincial governments are in solidarity in this intention.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer on the agenda, many people continue to experience its diverse effects, from economic to physiological. And while some professionals in 2020-21 worried about the lack of work, others faced increased workloads and now suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The governments of Canada intend to help them with this.
For this purpose, the authorities are allocating $900,000 CAD to the Dr. Peter Center. This is a project aimed at restoring the mental health of medical staff who worked directly with people during the pandemic.
Why him?
Stressful work and overtime are some of the factors in the development of PTSD. PTSD symptoms can affect various aspects of daily life, making daily activities difficult. That being said, in late 2020, Statistics Canada found that health care frontline workers who interact with patients are much more prone to developing PTSD. In their case, positive tests accounted for 10% of the total. In comparison, during the same period, the usual rate of positive testing for PTSD was about 5%.
Nova Scotia went even further
Meanwhile, authorities in Nova Scotia have become concerned about the psychological health of the general working population. On October 13, the Workers' Compensation Act was amended to include stress among the injuries eligible for monetary compensation.
"We want to make sure working Nova Scotians are supported and have a healthy workplace to go to each day. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case for some workers," said Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration.
The amendments will go into effect next September, and in that time employers and insurance companies should have time to hire the necessary consultants and understand the intricacies.
Payments will be able to compensate many employees for psychological damage suffered at work. However, dismissal, changes in job descriptions or interpersonal conflicts will still not be considered insurable.
Among other things, the new amendments increase funeral benefits for workers who die on the job: from CA$ 4,000 to CA$ 15,000 and indexes these benefits to the Consumer Price Index.
