Publications

Different people, different needs

Not everyone sees mental health and mental illness the same way. There can be cultural differences or differences based on social identity – some languages don’t have a word for depression – and behaviours that may seem odd in one culture might be perfectly fine in another.  Risks for mental illness vary, and so do people’s treatment needs. It’s important…

Social conditions and our mental health

As unions, we take a social and political approach to mental health and mental illness. Mental illnesses can be influenced or made worse by stress, insecurity, social exclusion, lack of housing, and other factors. Health is about more than health care. Of course, access to quality health care is important. But the overall health of populations depends a lot more…

What are stigma and discrimination?

Stigma and discrimination are two of the biggest problems facing people with mental health challenges. Stigma means seeing people with mental illness negatively because of their health condition. That might mean assuming that they are violent, that they just lack self-control or are weak, or that they’re not intelligent. People fear what they don’t understand. Because of stigma, people with…

What are mental health and mental illness?

Having good mental health means generally feeling good and being able to cope with everyday life at home and at work. Positive mental health means finding that balance in all parts of your life: social, physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological. Mental illnesses are conditions that can cause changes in your thinking and behaviour. They can cause distress and make it…