From the President’s Desk – November 2020

What a year this has been.  COVID-19 has changed the world in so many ways, and wreaked havoc on personal health for many, as well as the economy, social opportunities, and the daily ability to enjoy life in our usual and satisfying ways.  I know that I have had to make many adjustments, including working from home, limiting time with family, minimizing exposure to others, and restricting travel, just to name a few of the changes in my life.

And yet, this year has also brought some positives for me.  I was able to finish two books (both now in press; one related to the legal and ethical issues in the practice of psychology, the other on the stigma of mental illness), and have another two in progress. My own writing and research have done well, in part as I have had more alone time to write. I have also been able to maintain a regular routine of exercise and have been one of those people who was able to have lost weight and be in better health now than a year ago. This fall, I took the opportunity of more time to take a creative writing course, which I very much enjoyed, and I continue to indulge myself this way even though the course has ended. Debbie and I have never been closer (no doubt a mixed blessing for her!), and so the time has encouraged me to reflect on the people and things that are the most important in my life. I intend to carry forward some of my new reflections and activities.

One of the responses to the pandemic I think we have been able to watch the many ways that the mental health community has been called to action, and to see the overwhelmingly positive response.  It is now pretty clear, as was expected, that global mental health challenges have grown dramatically over the past year, and it has been amazing to watch colleagues develop novel responses to treatment, and especially new and improved methods to deliver care at a physical distance. I have been engaged in research related to mental issues of COVID- 19 and have been asked to talk about mental health issues in many media outlets, public fora and conferences, and have also helped the Mental Health Commission of Canada to develop and craft its responses to the pandemic. 

This holiday season will residents of in Canada largely in a “lock down” with limited opportunities to be with family and friends. We are following public health guidelines, though, not just to protect ourselves, but the others we love and care about. My fervent hope is that the vaccines that are now being deployed will be successful, and that maybe by the latter part of 2021 the world will again become a safer place to meet and be with others. When that time comes, and public health guidance allows, I fully expect that there will be multitude of social gatherings, concerts, musical events, etc. to celebrate. In the years to come, I suspect that many of us will look back on the 2020- 2021 years as some of the most anxiety provoking, dismal and lonely times of our lives. 

And yet I remain optimistic.  Humans are endlessly resourceful, and there are hints that the vaccines are effective, so that once we are able to get enough vaccinations into people’s arms, and assuming we all continue to maintain our other public health measures, the pandemic will end. It is not clear if we will be left with cases in the world that will require ongoing monitoring, control of regional outbreaks, or some type of re- vaccination.  Time will tell on these issues, but I am confident that the health experts who have done so remarkably well in recent months will be able even more to respond to global health crisis.  In fact, one of my predictions is that the international community will work together more than in the past, through organizations such as the World Health Organization, to be ready to respond to the continuing threat of this, or future health issues.

I hope that you will be able to take some time as the year winds down to take a break, and to reflect on the year you and your loved ones have just been through. This year will be one to remember, even as we face continuing challenges in the months to come. I am so grateful to be living in this time, and to know you and all of the things you do.  I hope that maybe this year, or in the near future, we can be together in person again!

Keith Dobson

President, WCCBT