The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Health and Community Services:
May 7 to 13 was Mental Health Week. This year’s theme was #GetLoud about what mental health really is. We joined schools, businesses, community groups, organizations, municipal governments and people in communities throughout our province to get loud!
Mr. Speaker, to start the week, Newfoundland and Labrador became the first province in Canada to launch the MindWell-U 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge province-wide. The challenge is an online program specializing in mindfulness training available in English and French at bridgethegapp.ca.
This training, which has been offered successfully through Memorial University’s Student Wellness and Counselling Centre since 2016, is an evidence-based program clinically proven to benefit mental and physical health. Mindfulness training has been proven to maintain wellness, reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and chronic pain, and assists in the treatment of problematic substance use.
This is the latest service added to the province’s suite of online mental health and addictions supports which includes Strongest Families, Bridge the gApp, BreathingRoom™ and Therapy Assistance Online.
Mr. Speaker, our government’s vision for improved mental health care means enhancing care across every level of need. Tools like this training are helping to provide early interventions, which can prevent mental health problems, mental illness, and addictions.
Mr. Speaker, I am in my second week of the challenge and can testify that the training is therapeutic and engaging. I encourage each one of my colleagues in this Honourable House and certainly all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to join the 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge through bridgethegapp.ca
Thank you.