National Perinatal Mental Health Strategy

Summary#

This bill requires the federal Minister of Health to create a national strategy to support mental health during pregnancy and after birth. It sets who must be consulted, what the strategy must cover, and when reports must be tabled and published. The bill does not fund new services or mandate provinces and territories to change programs. It focuses on planning, coordination, and reporting (Bill s. 3–5).

• Develop a national perinatal mental health strategy, with specific measures such as universal screening and timely access to specialist care (Bill s. 3(1), 3(3)(a)-(c)).
• Consult provinces and territories, Indigenous governing bodies, health providers, experts, advocates, and people with lived experience (Bill s. 3(2)).
• Increase training, public awareness, culturally relevant and gender‑affirming care, trauma‑informed care, and research (Bill s. 3(3)(d)-(h), (l)).
• Address social determinants, reduce barriers, and combat stigma (Bill s. 3(3)(i)-(k); Preamble).
• Table the strategy in Parliament within 1 year of the Act coming into force; publish it within 10 days of tabling; evaluate within 2 years and every 5 years after (Bill s. 4–5).
• No new funding or enforcement mechanisms are included; service changes would depend on later decisions by governments (Bill s. 3–5).

What it means for you#

• Households (expectant and new parents)

  • No immediate change to your health coverage or services. The bill creates a plan, not new benefits (Bill s. 3).
  • If governments act on the strategy, you could see routine mental health screening during pregnancy and after birth and faster referrals to specialists (Bill s. 3(3)(a)-(b)).
  • Strategy must consider stigma, barriers, and social factors that affect access to care (Bill s. 3(3)(i)-(k); Preamble).
  • Details of any new programs would be known after the strategy is tabled within 1 year of the Act coming into force (Bill s. 4(1)).

• Health care providers

  • Expect consultations on screening practices, referral pathways, and specialist community care (Bill s. 3(2)-(3)(a)-(c)).
  • The strategy must include improved training on perinatal mental health and increasing professional awareness (Bill s. 3(3)(d)-(e)).
  • No new mandates are imposed by this bill; any practice changes would follow from later implementation steps by governments and professional bodies (Bill s. 3).

• Provinces and territories

  • You will be consulted in developing the strategy (Bill s. 3(2)).
  • The bill does not require you to implement specific programs or meet federal conditions. Adoption would be voluntary unless future funding agreements or laws are made. Data unavailable.
  • Reporting timelines may create expectations for progress tracking, but there are no penalties for non‑adoption (Bill s. 4–5).

• Indigenous communities and governing bodies

  • Mandatory consultation and focus on culturally relevant services and trauma‑informed care are specified (Bill s. 3(2), 3(3)(f), 3(3)(h)).
  • The bill does not create distinct programs; details would depend on the strategy and later funding or agreements. Data unavailable.

• Researchers, NGOs, and advocacy groups

  • Opportunities to inform the strategy and its research and public awareness components (Bill s. 3(2), 3(3)(d), 3(3)(l)).
  • Future research priorities and data plans would be outlined in the strategy and in effectiveness reports due 2 years after tabling and every 5 years after (Bill s. 5).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No direct appropriations, funding levels, or taxes/fees are specified in the bill (Bill s. 3–5).
• Health Canada will incur administrative costs to develop the strategy and prepare reports; amounts are not provided. Data unavailable.
• Any future costs for screening, specialist services, training, public campaigns, or research would require separate funding decisions by Parliament and provincial/territorial governments. Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• A plan is needed because perinatal mental health problems are common and under‑treated; only about one‑third of mothers who reported symptoms consistent with postpartum depression or anxiety reported receiving treatment (Preamble).
• Universal screening and faster access to specialist care can catch problems early and improve outcomes for parents and children (Bill s. 3(3)(a)-(b); Preamble).
• The strategy tackles known barriers: stigma, low awareness, fragmented services, and social determinants, which the bill requires the Minister to address through training, public awareness, and barrier reduction (Bill s. 3(3)(d)-(k); Preamble).
• National coordination with provinces, territories, Indigenous governing bodies, and experts can reduce gaps and uneven access across Canada (Bill s. 3(2), 3(3)(c)).
• Regular reporting to Parliament creates accountability and keeps attention on results through 2‑year and 5‑year effectiveness reviews (Bill s. 4–5).

Opponents' View#

• The bill adds planning and reporting but no funding or mandates, so it may not change services on the ground without later appropriations or agreements (Bill s. 3–5).
• Health care delivery is provincial/territorial; without incentives or conditions, adoption of “universal screening” and “timely specialist access” may be uneven across jurisdictions (Bill s. 3(2), 3(3)(a)-(b)).
• Implementing universal screening and expanding specialist community care require workforce and capacity that may be in short supply, especially in rural and remote areas; the bill does not address these resource needs. Data unavailable.
• The broad scope (training, awareness, culturally relevant and gender‑affirming care, trauma‑informed care, social determinants, stigma, research) could dilute focus if not prioritized within limited budgets (Bill s. 3(3)(d)-(l)).
• Preparing the initial strategy and recurring effectiveness reports adds administrative workload for Health Canada and stakeholders, with unclear benefits if implementation is limited (Bill s. 4–5).