A Provincial Anxiety Disorders Strategy

Foreword Historically the disability and costs associated with mental health problems have been underestimated. This is particularly the case with anxiety disorders, the associated burden of disease now understood to be comparable to other major mental health conditions. Anxiety disorders impose a substantial cost on society and markedly compromise the quality of life for those affected. The Provincial Government has taken a progressive step in appointing the Provincial Anxiety Disorders Strategy Advisory Committee to develop a framework and recommendations to address the prevention and management of anxiety disorders in British Columbia. In developing this strategy, the Advisory Committee became aware of the limited public sector response to anxiety disorders and the difficulty many individuals with serious conditions have obtaining treatment services. While innovative treatment programs can be found in a few communities throughout the province, these have arisen more through the initiative of individual local practitioners than through a coordinated effort to service this group of mental health disorders. Similarly prevention efforts that intervene " upstream " in order to reduce " downstream " services and costs have been only sporadically pursued, if at all. This state of affairs is not necessarily unique to British Columbia. One of the strategy's external reviewers, international anxiety disorders expert, Dr. Richard Swinson, noted that this report could " have well been written about the conditions in any province in the country. " Dr. Swinson commended the present strategy as a strong, coherent and needed framework for structured change. The strategy outlined in the report identifies a series of universal, targeted and clinical interventions that together represent a comprehensive approach to improve the health and social outcomes for anxiety sufferers. The strategy, intended to guide provincial and regional efforts, is not a detailed blueprint for change. Implementation of the strategy will require continued leadership, policy direction and support from the provincial government and a commitment from regional health authorities to ensure access to a high standard of care for individuals with anxiety disorders irrespective of their place of residence.