Preventive measures are as important to the mental health pandemic as they are to COVID-19

(MENAFN- The Conversation) Imagine our only response to the COVID-19 pandemic had been increasing ICU capacity. Maybe encouraging hand-washing and optional mask-wearing, but no social distancing. And no vaccines.

ICUs would have overflowed long ago, our health-care budget would be drained and many more lives would have been lost. It seems like an absurd approach, and yet that is how we''re responding to the mental health and addictions crisis that has been surging in parallel to this pandemic.

In a typical year, experience a mental illness and die from substance use. The Canadian economy loses to substance use and to anxiety and depression.

In the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic, have experienced anxiety, have had suicidal thoughts and , and have experienced worse mental health.

As a result, and waitlists have overflowed. In Ontario, children are for services.

In response to this crisis, governments have made much needed . However, missing from current plans is a to reduce the number of Canadians who will end up needing costly mental health services.

At present, many non-profit agencies, schools and workplaces in Canada implement to promote the mental well-being of their patrons.

However, many Canadians do not have access to programs and services that meet their needs, especially people from historically marginalized communities such as , and , and . Most Canadians receive only a fraction of the resources needed to reduce their risk of experiencing mental illness: the COVID-19 prevention equivalent of maybe one free mask, but certainly no vaccine.

What would a more comprehensive prevention strategy for mental health look like? The recommends increasing research, funding and social marketing for the implementation of culturally safe, population-level mental health programs. Since between have their onset during childhood and adolescence, prevention programs tend to target these developmental periods.

However, children learn to regulate their thoughts, emotions and behaviours from the . That means programs that improve the well-being of adults also often have . Three examples of evidence-based mental health promotion programs include:

Programs that provide psychoeducation and support to parents and caregivers are one of the most effective ways to . Many also have positive effects for . Examples include the , and .

These programs can be , and implemented effectively . Indeed, the pandemic has sped up a pre-existing trend of delivering services virtually to increase access and decrease costs, and preliminary research suggests .

While it is not always possible to control people's environments, it is possible to equip people with skills and strategies to process stressful experiences in positive ways. For example, hundreds of studies have confirmed that universal, school-based programs that focus on building students'' , , , , , or improve child and adolescent mental health. There is also evidence that they are .

Workplace mental health programs, such as the Canadian-based , can also improve . And initial research on skill-building mobile apps also suggests they have a . Across settings and across the life-course, there are many low-cost, evidence-based opportunities to help Canadians build skills that support their mental well-being.

To thrive, people need to feel respected, accepted and connected. Programs that help meet these needs are an effective approach to mental health promotion. For example, there is strong evidence that promote positive mental health outcomes. Programs that foster positive connections between children and adults in their communities — such as and — are also proven to be effective at promoting mental well-being, as are programs that enhance the .

Finally, while robust research on interventions is lacking, current evidence suggests psychoeducation programs that reduce and , or increase , are also likely to have a positive impact on mental health.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, we have had to distance, wear masks, improve ventilation and develop vaccines. To reduce the prevalence of mental illnesses, we will need to take a similar, multi-targeted approach, as there is no single solution that addresses all the social determinants of mental health.

To maximize impact, this approach will need to be systematic, with a focus towards choosing evidence-based, cost-effective, culturally safe programs and making them equitable and accessible. It is by extending support, skill-building opportunities and a sense of belonging to all Canadians that we''ll ensure our mental health beds, and budgets, don''t overflow forever.

Let's not be left facing a third wave of the mental health crisis years from now because we didn''t create a preventive public health strategy early enough.

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