Mental health challenges are deepening across Alberta, driven by rising cost-of-living pressures, uneven access to care and a system increasingly strained by demand, says the province’s Alberta NDP Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. Janet Eremenko, the NDP MLA for Calgary-Currie, says evidence and frontline accounts point to worsening overall mental health among Albertans, as families grapple with affordability concerns that are eroding quality of life and creating new stressors not seen in generations.
Eremenko says the policy focus in recent years has leaned heavily toward addiction, often sidelining broader mental health needs unless they intersect with substance use. She says addressing underlying factors such as food insecurity, housing costs and financial instability is critical to improving outcomes, noting that early intervention and preventative support can help avoid more severe consequences, including job loss, family breakdown and the development of acute mental illness.
Access to services remains uneven across the province, with significant gaps outside Calgary and Edmonton forcing some families to travel long distances, or even relocate, to secure mental health care, particularly for youth. Eremenko says the disparities, combined with overburdened emergency departments and limited culturally appropriate services, underscore a system under pressure, where delays in care can push individuals from manageable conditions into crisis.
“We’re trying to create more encompassing conversations about how we take care of our mental health. We all have it. Some days it’s great, some days it’s good. You can have a significant mental illness but actually be doing pretty well when it comes to creating coping strategies and having a strong support network,” says Eremenko.
“So sometimes it can be one of those challenging issues to talk about in the political space because it covers so much ground. What I would say, though, generally speaking, is that the evidence shows us that overall the mental health for Albertans is not great. I think we have some really pressing challenges when it comes to affordability, cost of living, and the cost of raising a family.”
“All of those considerations that families have had to wrestle with for generations, but we’re feeling a lot of pressure, and I would say pressure that we haven’t necessarily had to feel here in Alberta for a long time,” she says. “So I would say overall, and this is backed up by the research, our mental health needs some love. It needs some TLC right now.”
Eremenko believes it is important to tackle the stressors when dealing with the worsening state of mental health in the province. She says that while she might not be able to introduce and advocate for legislation that speaks directly to mental health, she can speak to legislation that helps reduce some of the stressors.
“That is precisely what myself and my colleagues in our caucus and the official opposition have worked very hard at doing and take very seriously,” she explains.
Eremenko says access to mental health support is critical. If people are not able to have regular checkups, small issues can be missed and snowball, shifting the patient into crisis.
“Family breakdown, loss of employment, we don’t talk about that nearly enough in terms of the income earning implications of poor mental health. Oftentimes it can lead to addictions as a result of unresolved mental health concerns,” she adds.
Eremenko says, at the end of the day, this cycle is harmful for the individual, their family, and their community. Early intervention can cost less and do more good.
“The government has to make challenging resource decisions all the time,” she explains. “But I think in the case of mental health, an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure.”
Janet Eremenko, MLA for Calgary-Currie, is the Alberta NDP Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. She is a former non-profit leader and policy strategist specializing in poverty reduction and community advocacy.
