CMHA Kamloops: B.C. government’s suicide statistics ‘not reflective’ of what is being seen in groundwork

KAMLOOPS — A statement earlier this week from the B.C. Coroners Service said suicide deaths in the province decreased by 12 per cent between April 2020 and February 2021 compared to the same time the previous year.

While the data was surprising to Alfred Achoba, acting executive director for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s branch in Kamloops, he said it was partially flawed.

“It does state the investigation is not complete, but it was flawed in the sense that it did not take into account the areas where we’re seeing an increase in mental health issues for our community… particularly the overdose crisis we’re seeing where we had astronomical deaths,” Achoba said. “The data we see is not really reflective of what we see from the groundwork of the folks who are dying from drug overdose, and the folks who are [dying by] suicide from drug use. That information will not transfer to the coroners in most cases. I would have loved to see more work being put into the release before it was put out to the public.”

During CMHA’s Mental Health Week between May 3 and 9, a survey released by the organization in partnership with University of British Columbia researchers showed 37 per cent of British Columbians report a decline in their mental health since the onset of the pandemic.

While 82 per cent said they’re coping at least fairly well with stress from the pandemic, 12 per pent said they are using more substances such as drugs and alcohol to cope. Overdose deaths drastically increased in B.C. early in 2021.

Achoba said improving people’s mental health exiting the pandemic won’t just come from lifting provincial health guidelines in response to COVID-19. He said B.C. needs more programs to assist people with mental health disorders.

“Whether it’s programs around helping them manage their daily functions – because we’ve seen how mental health can affect that – and we also need to give people the tools they need to care for their loved ones,” he said. “Whether it’s those who are going through the stress of losing their job, their housing, or suffering from depression and anxiety. We need to be there and give them all the tools they need.”

The 2021 B.C. Budget committed $500 million to addiction and mental health initiatives.