Your HEALTHMental Health

CK Public Health does not provide mental health counseling or treatment.

This webpage is dedicated to information sharing and connecting you to local service providers who are available to assist you.

If you are having a crisis or know someone who is, please call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. 

Other Crisis Supports:

BeSafe: A free mobile app designed to support people during a crisis. Download it here.

Kid's Help Phone: Available 24/7 in over 100 languages for youth by texting 686868 or calling 1-800-668-6868.

Mental Health First Response: 24/7 telephone crisis intervention for people in Chatham-Kent struggling with mental health or addictions. Call 1-866-299-7447.

Suicide Crisis Hotline: Available 24/7. Call or text 988 for a quick response from coast to coast.

What is Mental Health

Our mental health and well-being are more than the absence of mental illness. It is how our emotions, feelings and thoughts guide us as we work through challenges, our relationships, and how we see the world around us.  
There is no health without mental health.

Factors that Effect Mental Health 

Your mental health is influenced by many factors like your lifestyle choices and your social conditions. Social conditions include things like education, food and housing, work conditions, and more. Many of these factors are not in our control. We can experience barriers that prevent us from having access to certain lifestyle behaviours and social conditions. 

Your mental health is influenced by things you can control and things that you can’t control. Protective factors for mental health are things that make you less likely to develop a mental illness. On the other hand, risk factors for mental health make you more likely to develop a mental illness. 

Protective FactorsRisk Factors
  • Healthy coping skills for stress
  • Unhealthy coping skills like substance use
    		•
  • Healthy and supportive relationships
  • Unhealthy relationships with conflict or violence
    		•
    Healthy lifestyle that includes:

    • Eating a well-balanced diet

    • Being physically active

    • Getting enough rest

    • Avoiding drugs and alcohol
    		Lifestyle that includes:

    • Poor nutrition

    • Not being physically active

    • Not sleeping well

    • Substance use
  • Having a steady job
  • Having a low income or unstable job
    		•
  • Living in a safe community that is accepting
  • Living in a community that is unsafe or feels isolating
    		•
  • Living in clean and safe housing
  • Living in inadequate or unsafe housing
    		•
  • Having an education
  • Having low or no education
    		•
  • Having parents who have good mental health
  • Having a parent with a mental illness or substance use disorder
    		•
  • Using available mental health supports when you need it
  • Not asking for help when you are struggling
    		•

    Promoting Positive Mental Health

    CK Public Health aims to work with local, provincial, and national organizations to promote good mental health across Chatham-Kent. This means that we support our community members in accessing the tools that they need to take control over their lives and improve their mental health.  

    Tools for good mental health include: 

    • Self-esteem
    • Coping skills
    • Social connectedness 

        Mental health promotion activities can increase your emotional and spiritual strength which make you more resilient. Being resilient helps you to cope and adapt to difficult life experiences or challenges. 

        Public Health Programs to Support Mental Health

        Mature female advisor meets with another female client
        We offer programs and classes that can help you develop good coping skills so you can handle difficult situations and protect your mental wellbeing.

        How Can I Promote Positive Mental Health?

        You can promote your own mental-being in lots of ways:

        • Be physically active
        • Eat a well-balanced diet  
        • Spend time outdoors  
        • Spend time with people who love you 
        • Prioritize getting good sleep  
        • Limit screen time  
        • Reduce and limit substance use  
        • Find a hobby that you enjoy  
        • Avoid becoming socially isolated by building a sense of belonging in your community 
        • Volunteer with a local organization  
        • Stay in touch with family, friends, and neighbors  
        • Join a local recreation club or senior centre 

                              Mental Health & Stigma

                              Infographic showing that 1 in 5 people experience a mental illness.

                              There are many reasons why some people develop a mental illness. Mental illness can be caused by trauma, chronic stress, or even genetics. Sometimes the cause is unknown.  

                              Mental illness is very common in Canada, but people with mental illness often experience stigma. Stigma is when we think negatively about someone because they have a mental illness and treat them differently from others who do not have a mental illness. 

                              Stigma can make people with mental illness feel ashamed, embarrassed, and hopeless. This makes it hard for people to seek out help for their mental illness. We all have a part to play in reducing the stigma about mental illness.  

                              If you are experiencing poor mental health, you are not alone. Do not let stigma prevent you from getting the care that you need. 

                              Resources & Support

                              Mental Health

                              Related Content & Links

                              For More Information