US EditionMoms describe being trapped in a cycle of anguish when a loved one faces mental health crises
Mothers report a cycle of crisis and relapse for adult children with severe mental illness amid systemic barriers like privacy laws and long therapy waits, with 50% wait times over 30 days.
- On March 4, 2026, The Canadian Press reported mothers describing a cycle of short hospital stays, discharge without follow-up, and renewed crises, with CIHI data showing over 5,000 hospitalized in 2024–2025.
- Privacy rules prevented parents from initiating care, and mental health clinics and provincial intake lines told families patients must call themselves; therapy waits can stretch to about six months, with only half of people referred to counselling receiving care within 30 days.
- Nancy Saunders says her son Ben Brennan never reached a psychiatrist, did well on family doctor medication for four years, then relapsed and died by suicide in April 2023.
- Experts warn that 30 per cent of hospitalized patients lack follow-up within 30 days, fueling deterioration and advocating for increased parental involvement, says FASMI president Kathleen Mochnacki.
- Families say provincial capacity and consent boards repeatedly discharge patients, even when health teams say they are not ready, as assertive community treatment teams struggle to meet needs.
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18 Articles
Moms describe being trapped in a cycle of anguish when a loved one faces mental health crises
The latest data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows only half of Canadians who were referred to mental health counselling received care within 30 days of referral.
Moms describe being trapped in a cycle of anguish when a loved one faces mental health crises
WARNING: This story includes distressing details — and discusses suicide. Nancy Saunders says her son Ben Brennan accomplished so much in his short life. He was an exceptional musician, loved writing and was a freelance recording engineer, she said. Brennan played in bands across Canada and toured Europe. He studied at the University of King’s College in Halifax. Deeply kind and compassionate, “he just had a huge soft heart,” Saunders said. “The…
Moms describe being trapped in a cycle of anguish when a loved one faces mental health crises – Energeticcity.ca
TORONTO — Nancy Saunders says her son Ben Brennan accomplished so much in his short life. He was an exceptional musician, loved writing and was a freelance recording engineer, she said. Brennan played in bands across Canada and toured Europe. He studied at the University of King’s College in Halifax. Deeply kind and compassionate, “he just had a huge soft heart,” Saunders said. “The world was so much better with him in it,” she said through tear…
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