Could your depression be your greatest asset?

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Kaiser Foundation - National Awards for Excellence

The National Awards for Excellence Program is supported by the Kaiser Foundation, Federal and Provincial governments and other national partners in order to recognize the selfless and outstanding work of individuals and organizations across Canada who are reducing the harm associated with addictive behaviour, substance use and mental health issues through their leadership, new ideas, research and education.

There are seven award categories for which Canadians can be nominated:

* Excellence in Public Policy
* Excellence in Community Programming
* Excellence in Aboriginal Programming
* Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use Programming
* Excellence in Leadership
* Excellence in Youth Leadership
* Excellence in Media Reporting

Each of the award recipients receives a $10,000 grant to be given to a recognized charity of their choice. The winners and a guest are provided with accommodation and airfare to the host city (Calgary in 2008) to attend the awards ceremony.

Closing for the 2008 National Awards for Excellence is November 16, 2007.

For more information, please see the Call for Nominations.

Average length of hospital stay higher for mental illness patients

October 11, 2007--A new annual report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that in 2004-2005 patients diagnosed with mental illness represented 6% of all general hospital discharges or deaths (separations) in Canada, but 13% of all inpatient days. This is due to the fact that, on average, mental illness patients had longer stays in general hospitals (17 days) compared to other patients (7 days). The average length of stay was even longer for those in psychiatric hospitals (109 days, excluding Quebec data).

During the same period, mood disorders were the primary diagnoses in over a third (34%) of all mental illness separations for general and psychiatric hospitals combined, followed by schizophrenic and psychotic disorders (21%) and substance-related disorders (16%). The mood-disorder diagnosis group was the largest for all provinces and territories, with the exception of the Northwest Territories, where the substance-related disorder group was the largest.

Hospital Mental Health Services in Canada, 2004-2005