Long-term disability claims and addictions

A person applying for long-term disability benefits may be making an application as a result of a physical injury or illness or a psychological illness such as a substance use disorder. A person who has a substance use disorder may no longer be able to complete the essential duties of his or her job and may require an extended period of time off work to seek treatment at a rehabilitation facility, for example.

1 in 5 Canadians experience mental health or addiction issues

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), in any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental health or addiction problem. The terms ‘mental illness’ and ‘addiction’ refer to a wide range of disorders that affect mood, thinking and behaviour. Examples include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, as well as substance use disorders and problem gambling. Mental illness and addictions can be associated with distress and/or impairment of functioning. Symptoms vary from mild to severe.

Why observe International Overdose Awareness Day?

The Canadian Mental Health Association, along with other related organizations are observing the International Overdose Awareness Day to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. The global annual campaign is a time to remember, to end overdose, and to acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. Use #IOAD2022 on social media posts to show support and raise awareness to this important day.

Who is most at risk?

Youths are at high risk for opioid overdose. To help mark #IOAD2022 and help youths across Ontario, CAMH has put together a Carry It Toolkit to help administrators, students staff and faculty prevent and respond to opioid overdose, and guide them to create an opioid overdose protocol.

What is the cause for most drug related deaths in Canada?

In Canada, opioids account for the majority of drug-induced deaths. In fact, according to Health Canada, from January 2016 to December 2021 there were 29,052 apparent opioid toxicity deaths across the country. During the first year of the pandemic, there was a 96% increase in opioid toxicity deaths compared to the previous year. In 2021 there were 7,520 opioid toxicity deaths, which averages 21 deaths per day.

What are advocates doing to decrease drug/alcohol related illness and death in Ontario?

In Ontario, a coalition of leading health organizations is calling on the provincial government to develop a comprehensive alcohol strategy to address the health harms of alcohol. This was prompted as a result of the plan to introduce beer sales into grocery stores, which would increase alcohol availability. According to CAMH, alcohol is a public health issue, and the annual costs of alcohol-related health care, law enforcement, corrections, lost productivity, motor vehicle collisions, injuries and social problems are estimated to cost the province $5.3 billion annually.

Clara Hughes, one of the spokespeople for Bell Let’s Talk, was recently quoted at a charity event as saying, “There’s some statistics that are not talked about enough…I’m talking about the statistics of the one in five Canadians that are going to struggle with mental illness in their life[time[. I am part of that statistic…I have gone through major depression throughout my life. We all walk a fine line between health and illness…There is so much silence involved. I’m never going to stop talking about this because we need to understand at a much deeper level what this struggle is, when it comes to mental illness, addictions, brain injury and developmental disabilities.”

Did you know that mental illnesses and substance use disorders are recognized disabilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code?

The Ontario Human Rights Code (section 4.1 and section 4.2) recognizes impairments such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, schizophrenia, alcohol dependence and addictions to illegal drugs as types of disabilities and explains that:

In many cases, they [disabilities] may not be visible to the average onlooker. People’s experience of disability may result from bodily or mental impairments, or from limitations arising from impairments that affect people’s ability to function in certain areas of living. From a functional or medical perspective, for example, mental health disabilities or addictions may be characterized by “alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour- or some combination thereof- associated with significant distress and impaired function…

Addiction is considered to be a chronic disease and from a medical perspective, one definition is, a primary, chronic disease, characterized by impaired control over the use of a psychoactive substance and/or behaviour…Like other chronic diseases, it can be progressive, relapsing and fatal.