Families mourning the loss of loved ones to suicide and overdose are joining the Sask NDP to demand immediate action on what they call a worsening youth mental health crisis.As Mental Health Week begins, NDP Mental Health and Addictions critic Betty Nippi-Albright said the Sask Party government is ignoring the scale of the crisis while making damaging cuts to healthcare.“Mental health challenges do not discriminate,” said Nippi-Albright. “Our province is facing a mental health crisis because the government has not made this a priority — even worse, they are cutting funding.”The Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth has declared the situation a crisis, noting only 48% of young people with emerging mental health needs in the province are able to access services — far below the national average of 61%.The Canadian Mental Health Association says Saskatchewan also faces serious staff shortages, with just 7.4 psychiatrists per 100,000 people..Megan Isbister, whose brother Jacob died in March after a long struggle with mental illness and addiction, said systemic underfunding left her family without options. “Despite Jacob’s resilience and the dedication of frontline workers, he constantly faced systemic barriers rooted in chronic underfunding and a lack of resources,” she said.Fran Forsberg, who spoke on behalf of her indigenous daughters, said the situation is especially dire for Indigenous youth. “This government is putting policy over safety,” Forsberg said. “Young indigenous women do not have access to mental health resources, and yet they are at the highest risk.”The Sask NDP is calling on the province to reverse a $17 million cut to the healthcare budget and spend on critical youth mental health services now and for the future.
