HiBoop aims to cut diagnosis times and improve access to mental health care

While one in five Canadians will suffer from a mental health illness in any given year, it can take up to 12 months to get a diagnosis after the first symptom. After a patient receives a referral, the time it takes to receive care is typically six months, sometimes up to 18 months. Then, once treatment begins, subsequent sessions can take between one and four months.  

The prolonged wait times are among the outcomes of Canada’s severe physician shortage. Healthcare providers are receiving more referrals than they can handle, and some are choosing to leave the public system for private in search of better pay.