Why is the wait for mental health services so long in Quebec?

Sara, 18, sits with her back to the camera. Six months after a mental health crisis, she’s still waiting to see a psychiatrist—one of nearly 13,000 people in Quebec facing delays for mental health services.

Dealing with emotions, especially anger, has been a lifelong challenge for 18-year-old Sara, whose name has been changed for privacy reasons. It became a crisis six months ago when she ended up in hospital.

“It was the stress of school, social life and a past relationship I had which kind of all came crashing down at once. And couldn’t handle it anymore,” she said.

“I eventually just snapped and overdosed on Tylenol, which led me to go to a hospital.”

While the health-care system was able to handle her emergency and connect her to a therapist, she’s still waiting to see a psychiatrist who can treat her.

“Having to wait over two months is a very big margin of time when our thoughts can shift within hours or even days,” Sara said.

People who work in the mental health field say demand for their services have spiked since the pandemic, and wait times to see specialists in Quebec are too long.

All too often, they say people in mental distress are ending up in emergency rooms.

“There’s an increase also in suicide attempts, and serious ones where they’re going to need to be hospitalized,” said Karine Gauthier, a child psychologist and president of the Coalition des psychologues du reseau public quebecois (CPRPQ).

“But those teenagers, they should have gotten services sometimes three, four years earlier.”

Gauthier said the wait time to see a psychologist in the public system can be six months to two years.

She said there aren’t enough psychologists to meet the demand, a problem exacerbated by the fact that 40 per cent of psychologists leave the public system for the private system within the first five years of practice.

But Corrie Sirota says the private sector is also struggling to keep pace with demands.

The psychologist, based in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, said she’s seen four times the demand for her services since the pandemic, and she’s unfortunately had to turn clients down.

“What’s happening is people are waiting for services. They can’t access the services. So they have to have the crisis in order to obtain services. That’s not a great plan,” she said.

Sirota said even those who have insurance have difficulties accessing enough care.

“I’m a member of two orders, so I can receive in either order and give people a little bit of a break on some of the costs associated. However, what’s the plan? $500. That does not cover a lot of counseling sessions,” she said.

Quebec’s Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant said recently that the province is making progress in reducing wait times for mental health services.

As of Jan. 2025, 12,976 people were waiting for mental health services.

But that number is likely a fraction of people needing mental health services, according to Marie-Josee Fleury, a McGill University professor and researcher at the Douglas Research Centre.

“We know that we have a 15 per cent prevalence of mental health disorders,” she said. “There are very few professionals working in mental health teams.”

Fleury said spending on mental health care is only 8 per cent of the government’s budget but should be closer to 10 to 15 per cent.

She added the number of Emergency Room visits to treat mental health disorders is a barometer that the system isn’t working well.

Since her crisis, Sara said she’s been able to open up to her friends, and some have shared they are struggling too. Even if she has to wait, she said she’s grateful to get the help she needs.

Here is a list of mental health resources in Quebec

If ever you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to: Your family doctor (if you have one)

Call Info-Social 811 to get help or information regarding your mental health or the mental health of a family member or friend.

Call the 911 emergency service if you fear for your safety or the safety of a family member or friend or to obtain immediate assistance.

Call or text the 988 suicide crisis helpline when in crisis, or when they know someone is in a crisis, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, free of charge.

Find a crisis centre (in French only) near you to obtain free specialized crisis intervention services for you or a loved one.

• AMI-Quebec: 514-486-1448
• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): 1-866-277-3553 in Quebec (24/7)
• Dunham House: 450-263-3434
• Centre Interligne Inc.: (for issues related to sexual orientation): 514-866-0103 call or text
• Depressives Anonymous
• Groupe d’entraide pour un mieux-être: (GEME): 450-332-4463
• Quebec Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation: 514-727-0012
• Société québécoise de la schizophrénie: 514 251-4125 | 1-866 888-2323
• Suicide Prevention Centre of Montreal: 1-866 277-3553 or text 535353
• Veterans Affairs Canada: 1 800 268-7708