It’s Time for Mental Health Awareness!

October is a busy month for mental health awareness campaigns in Canada. October is Healthy Workplace Month, October 2-8 2022 is Mental Illness Awareness Week and October 10, 2022 is World Mental Health Day. #WorldMentalHealthDay

These are three important initiatives because one of the driving forces of mental health awareness and mental illness awareness campaigns is to reduce stigma.

It is known that 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime and that stigma often prevents people from seeking treatment. Stigmatizing mental health and discrimination prevents people from seeking treatment and getting help.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, 2 out of 3 people suffer in silence due to fear of judgment and rejection and only 49% of Canadians said they would associate with a friend who has a serious mental illness.

This blog will discuss:

• Healthy Workplace Month
• Mental Illness Awareness Week
• World Mental Health Day
• Mental Illness and Disability Claims

These awareness events are also important during the challenging times we continue to face as a result of the global pandemic.

Our daily lives have changed dramatically since the pandemic; since the first declaration of emergency, the restrictions we have had to follow and the effects of social (physical distancing).

Healthy Workplace Month

October is Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month, an initiative to build awareness about the importance of workplace health. Why is this significant?

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), more than 500,000 Canadians will be absent from work in any week as a result of mental illness.

It was expected that by 2020, depression would be the world’s second leading cause of disability (heart disease is the first leading cause of disability).

Having a Healthy Workplace Month across Canada is a reminder that there is a need to address mental health in the workplace. Stress, anxiety and mood disorders such as depression are listed as the most commonly seen mental health problems impacting the workplace.

Workplace Stress and Mental Health Claims

Sometimes people experience high levels of stress in the work environment and develop anxiety or depression, or exacerbation of these or other conditions. Many people wonder if they can make a disability claim for “workplace stress” or “work-related stress”, “mental stress” or a “workplace conflict”.



If you are an insured employee with access to group benefits including short-term disability and long-term disability, you should be aware that you can make a disability claim for workplace stress or mental distress at work, as long as you have the proper supportive medical documentation from your treating doctors. Workplace stress/mental distress can exacerbate underlying mental illnesses such as depressive or anxiety disorders or cause a person to experience depression and/or anxiety, and as a result you may be unable to continue working.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada found that 1 in 3 workplace disability claims are related to mental illness and more than 80% of Canadian employers rate mental health issues as 1 of the top 3 causes of both short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) claims.

Non-occupational vs. Occupational LTD Policies

Some employers have two types of LTD policies, non-occupational and occupational. Under an occupational policy, if you are unable to perform the duties of your own occupation as a result of an illness or injury related to the workplace, you may qualify for LTD benefits. This includes mental illness.

Mental Illness Awareness Week

On October 2, 2022, Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) begins in Canada. MIAW 2021 is October 2-8, 2022. Mental Illness Awareness Week is an annual national public education campaign designed to educate Canadians about the reality of mental illnesses.

One of the goals of MIAW is to raise awareness and end the stigma associated with mental illness.

Statistics provided by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) say the following:

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is observed annually on October 10. It is an initiative started by the World Health Organization (WHO). The objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness about mental health issues worldwide.

This year’s focus is "mental health for all- let's make it a reality". During the campaign, the WHO plans to release new materials for people living with depression.

Statistics provided by the WHO indicate the following:

• Close to one billion people have a mental disorder and anyone, anywhere, can be affected.
• Depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents and adults.
• People with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia tend to die 10-20 years earlier than the general population.
• Suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and is the 2nd leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds globally.
• Approximately 800, 000 people die as a result of suicide every year which means 1 person every 40 seconds.

Mental Illness and COVID-19

It is understandable that people are experiencing increased stress and fear in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Beyond the fear of contracting the virus itself, we have had to make significant changes to much of our daily lives as we have been subject to restrictions with respect to how we do things like go grocery shopping, take public transportation, enter public buildings/areas and with in-person interactions.

Many people also faced reduced hours, reduced pay, unemployment, or transitioned to working from home. Others may be finding themselves experiencing burn out from being on the frontlines.

The lack of contact with people outside your household during lockdown/declarations of emergency also took a toll on your mental health. People felt increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, have had exacerbated symptoms, or developed new ones.

With the seasons changing, seasonal affective disorder can also come into play and further affect people's psychological states.

This is another reason why it is important to have mental health awareness, so that people can know they are not alone and can try to seek treatment without fear of being judged.

Mental Illness and Disability Claims

The Application Forms

When you make a claim for short-term or long-term disability benefits, there are three forms that make up the application package. Two forms that you are responsible for making sure are completed are the Employee Statement and the Attending Physician’s Statement.

The Employee Statement is a form where you can provide details about your symptoms and limitations and how your function has been affected by your condition/illness.

The Attending Physician Statement is the form your doctor fills out. Your doctor is asked to provide a diagnosis, details about your symptoms and clinical findings, your restrictions and limitations and how they relate to your ability to work and your prognosis.

How Your Claim is Assessed

Both forms, along with the form your employer has completed (which includes details of your job duties) are taken into consideration to see if your reported limitations and restrictions, your symptoms and diagnosis would prevent you from working at your own job. Your insurance company is looking for information that shows how and why your disability prevents you from working.

You will also be asked to participate in a telephone interview with a claims adjuster who will ask you about your daily functioning and why you are unable to return to work.

Because a mental illness is an “invisible illness” it is important to document the symptoms you have been experiencing by going to your doctor(s) consistently, so you can discuss your ongoing symptoms, if there have been any changes or if new symptoms developed. Many times, the insurance company asks for the clinical notes and records of your treating physician (s) to determine if you are receiving appropriate treatment and to determine the severity of your symptoms.

Common reasons for denying benefits in mental health claims is due to “lack of objective medical evidence”, not receiving proper treatment or following proper treatment or that there are no restrictions or limitations that would prevent you from performing your job duties.

If your short-term or long-term disability claim has been denied for any reason, you should contact an experienced disability lawyer to find out what your options are as an insured person. Our lawyers have helped many clients successfully resolve their denied disability claims.