The Canadian Institute for Health Information has released some startling statistics about wait times for mental health counselling services in Canada.

They say that in 2019-2020, about half of Canadians waited for up to one month for counselling services, while one in 10 people waited for more than four months. As well, they say that in some jurisdictions, children and teens had longer wait times than adults age 18 and older.

Tracy Johnson, a director at CIHI, says the longer wait times for those under 18 have to do with school. She says that age group can likely avail of mental health services in school, but in the summer those services aren’t available, thus the longer wait times.

According to Johnson, quick access to mental health services is important because the longer people wait, especially children, the worse the problem tends to get.