Cosco T D, Randa C, Hopper S, Wagner K R, Pickering J, Best J R
Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC Canada.
Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC Canada.
J Popul Ageing. 2022;15(3):863-878. doi: 10.1007/s12062-022-09389-z. Epub 2022 Aug 19.
Canada is a relatively young, geographically-diverse country, with a larger proportion of the population aged over 65 than under 15. Increasing alongside the number of ageing Canadians is the number of older adults that live with mental health challenges. Across the life course, one in five Canadians will experience a mental health disorder with many more living with subclinical symptoms. For these individuals, their lived experience may be directly impacted by the contemporary laws and policies governing mental illness. Examining and reviewing the historical context of mental health and older adults, we provide insights into the evolving landscape of Canadian mental health law and policy, paternalistic roots in the infancy of the country, into modern foci on equity and diversity. Progressing in parallel to changes in mental health policy has been the advancement of mental health research, particularly through longitudinal studies of ageing. Although acting through different mechanisms, the evolution of Canadian mental health law, policy, and research has had, and continues to have, considerable impacts on the substantial proportion of Canadians living with mental health challenges.
加拿大是一个相对年轻、地域多样的国家，65岁以上人口的比例高于15岁以下人口。与老龄化加拿大人数量一同增加的是有心理健康挑战的老年人数量。在人的一生中，五分之一的加拿大人会经历心理健康障碍，还有更多人有亚临床症状。对于这些人来说，他们的生活经历可能会受到当代精神疾病相关法律和政策的直接影响。通过审视和回顾心理健康与老年人的历史背景，我们深入了解了加拿大心理健康法律和政策不断演变的格局，从该国初期的家长式根源，到现代对公平和多样性的关注。与心理健康政策变化并行发展的是心理健康研究的进步，特别是通过对老龄化的纵向研究。尽管通过不同机制发挥作用，但加拿大心理健康法律、政策和研究的演变已经并将继续对相当一部分有心理健康挑战的加拿大人产生重大影响。
