It is time that Canada had an all-party caucus for men’s mental health. This is a forum where parliamentarians can come together, with the help of experts, to devise practical and workable solutions at the federal level.
This is not an academic exercise. It is urgent.
A report from the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, released on May 29, found that 50 per cent of men are experiencing social isolation, and that 64 per cent report moderate to high levels of stress.
Such suffering may have amplified in recent months, given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and concerns about job security due to the trade war with the United States.
Men are disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis. Recent Statistics Canada data found that 71 per cent of deaths in 2024 that were due to opioid toxicity occurred among males. They also accounted for approximately two-thirds of hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
A 2021 introductory primer on men’s mental health, written by Dr. Rob Whitley, states that 17 per cent of Canadian men report poor or fair mental health.
Data also indicates that young men are finding themselves falling behind. The most recent federal data concerning Canadian high school graduation rates found that females were more likely to graduate than males. This data covered three academic years between 2014 and 2017.
This is unfortunate considering the economic changes that have led to a massive decline in industries such as manufacturing, fisheries, forestry, and oil which has particularly affected rural areas and small towns. These industries offered honourable and well-paying jobs to many generations of Canadian men. This may get worse as the trade war intensifies and the economic effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs kick in.
As Senator Patrick Brazeau noted in the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee’s June 2023 report, Doing What Works: Rethinking the Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention: “There is a huge gap or disparity between what is available for women and what’s available for men.”
In addition to being a member of the committee that studied the issue, Brazeau also testified during the study and shared his own lived experience.
“When we see that three out of four suicides are committed by men, maybe we’re just doing what historically we’ve always done in thinking that men are strong, men are supposed to be tough, and men don’t have to get help, and they’ll sort it out on their own. I’m living proof that that’s not the case. That’s simply not the case,” he said during the study.
For these reasons, and many more, Brazeau is planning to launch an all-party parliamentary caucus on mental health for men and boys. The caucus, which has already attracted interest among parliamentarians of all parties, will look at what can be done in the realms of education, employment, family, mental health services and civic society––all with the aim of developing appropriate policy and legislation that can contribute to healthy men, healthy families and healthy communities.
We welcome all parliamentarians to reach out to us and help us build a better Canada for all Canadians.
Patrick Brazeau is a non-affiliated Algonquin Senator. Rob Whitley PhD, is a professor of psychiatry at McGill University. Justin Trottier is the national executive director at Canadian Centre for Men and Families.
The Hill Times