Auditor general flags problems with mental health care in New Brunswick – New Brunswick [Video]

New Brunswick’s Health Department is failing to provide timely treatment for those struggling with addictions and mental health problems, the province’s auditor general says.

Paul Martin released a report Tuesday saying that as demand for referrals, assessments and treatment has increased, wait times often exceeded the department’s benchmarks between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2024.

“It’s unfortunate that the timelines and the waits are very long,” Martin told a news conference. “I was very concerned to see the length of time it takes for people to get help, but I’m more concerned to see people falling off the list without any treatment and not knowing what happened to them. Was it because it took too long?”

The report says more than one in five New Brunswickers will deal with an alcohol or drug use disorder in their lifetime, and every year nearly one in 10 will seek treatment for …