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Letter: OHIP should cover psychological counselling

There has been substantial content in the media as of late regarding the promotion of mental health awareness.
There has been substantial content in the media as of late regarding the promotion of mental health awareness.

These media campaigns are a step in the right direction when it comes to erasing the stigma that has forever surrounded the epidemic that is mental illness, and organizations should continue to invest in such upstanding projects.

However, to really help sufferers of mental illness, political action needs to be taken so adequate psychological services are accessible to individuals of all socioeconomic classes.

Although the costs of pharmacological agents prescribed by psychiatrists are typically covered under OHIP, the same cannot be said for treatment provided by psychologists.

Individuals suffering from mental illness often require psychological services (alongside pharmacologic agents) to function free (or close to free) of undue distress.

Such services can run upwards of $200 per hour, a cost which is an impermeable barrier for many individuals with mental illness.

The fact that individuals with all sorts of physical disorders (which often may be preventable) receive sufficient health care covered under OHIP, whereas others who have genetically inherited chemical imbalances (also known as psychiatric illnesses) do not receive adequate funding, is a tragic social injustice.

Joel Maziarski
Sudbury