Wait times for psychiatric treatment decrease

CALGARY — Canadians are receiving psychiatric treatment faster in 2009 than they did in 2008, according to research published by the Fraser Institute.

The national median wait time for Canadians seeking psychiatric treatment fell nearly two weeks, to 16.8 weeks in 2009 from 18.6 weeks in 2008, the lowest figures since the Canadian think-tank launched its annual psychiatry waiting list survey in 2003.

The study measures the median time a patient waits to begin a treatment program after being referred by a general practitioner to a psychiatric specialist.

The shortest overall waiting times were recorded in Prince Edward Island (12 weeks), British Columbia (13.6 weeks) and Ontario (14.9 weeks).

The longest total wait times were recorded in Alberta (25.2 weeks), Newfoundland & Labrador (29.5 weeks), and New Brunswick (30 weeks).

Manitoba, which had the lowest median psychiatric wait times in 2008 (15.8 weeks), saw wait times increase to 17.8 weeks, while New Brunswick experienced the biggest hike, increasing seven weeks compared to 2008.

Times are down, but the Fraser Institute says the delay demonstrates the health-care system is lacking.

"While Canadians are facing shorter total waits for psychiatric services than they have over the past seven years, the delay for treatment in 2009 still far exceeds what physicians would consider clinically reasonable," said Nadeem Esmail, Fraser Institute Director of Health System Performance Studies.

“Canadian governments have been fixated on defining wait time benchmarks and implementing care guarantees for select physical treatments, yet, people suffering from mental illness are enduring longer waits for treatment than those with physical ailments,” Esmail said.

“Despite large increases in health spending, the health care system is still clearly failing patients in terms of delivering timely access to medical services.”