Mental Health Stats (BC)

Question

I received the following request for statistics/data today while I was away at a Conference. I am not sure how to find all the requested bits and pieces. The Canadian Community Health Survey, cycle 1.2, 2002 (Mental Health) has some data, but does not offer all the data requested.

I am doing research on mental illness and parenting. Do you have any data/statistics on the following: 1. Number/percentage of people with Schizophrenia, Bipolar, or major depression in B.C. from 2005 to 2010 if available? 2. Hospitalizations in B.C. with Schizophrenia, Bipolar, or Major depression who have children from 2005-2010 if available? 3. Number of grandparents looking after grandchildren in B.C. due to their daughter/son illness (2005-2010) 4. parental illness and loss of custody in B.C. 2005-2010 5. Parents with mental illness whose children are apprehended or in the care of the Ministry of Children and families Development.

Any information would be appreciated

Answer

For question 1 ("Number/percentage of people with Schizophrenia, Bipolar, or major depression in B.C. from 2005 to 2010 if available?"), your client may be interested in the provincial-level CANSIM tables on mood disorders (an aggregate) that are available through StatCan's Health Indicators publication (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-221-x/2009001/tblstructure/1hs/1hc/hc1mdx-eng.htm). The data in these tables are from CCHS and cover 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008. The CCHS PUMFs may also be of interest to your client. 2007, 2008 are the latest years for which data are available from this survey. The "How Healthy Are Canadians? Annual Report 2004" publication (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?lang=eng&catno=82-003-S2004000) focused on mental health and may also be of interest. The National Population Health Survey includes a mental health module but the most recent file is for 2006/2007. NPSH-related products can be accessed via the Links to related products section on the left side bar of http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3225&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2. The survey is also available in the RDCs and data may be available on a custom basis.

For question 2 ("Hospitalizations in B.C. with Schizophrenia, Bipolar, or Major depression who have children from 2005-2010 if available?") I would recommend looking into the data available from CIHI. According to the Definitions, data sources and methods section of the StatCan website (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3204&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2): "As of the 1994/95 data year, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) assumed the data collection and dissemination responsibilities for Mental Health Statistics. (...) The annual information presently collected by this program provides data on separation (discharges) from psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals for inpatients being treated for mental disorders." Your provincial health department and mental health-related associations may also disseminate data on these topics.

For question 3, 4 and 5, your client may wish to look into the custody-related data available in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY; http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4450&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2). We have NLSCY synthetic files in the DLI collection (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/dli-ild/data-donnees/ftp/nlscy-elnej-eng.htm) that can be used to prepare for a visit to an RDC or to request data through remote job submission (the data in these synthetic files are "synthetic/dummy" data that can't be used for analytical purposes). NLSCY data on this topic may also be available for a fee on a custom basis. If this is of interest to your client, I would be pleased to refer you to an Account-Executive in our Vancouver office who could confirm what data could be disseminated as a custom table and at what cost. You may also wish to look into what data that might be available from provincial ministries.

I hope that these suggestions are helpful. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions.