Mental health treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Yes, you can. A doctor on Maple will want to discuss your current emotional state, your medical history, and any symptoms or signs of mental illness you're experiencing.

In many cases, the doctor will want to have physical and psychological evaluations performed before offering a mental illness diagnosis. They may also suggest additional testing be done at a medical clinic before suggesting any mental illness treatments.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe medications for mental illness online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription for your mental illness, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered right to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it Works page to learn more.

Also known as mental health disorders, mental illness is the term we use to describe a wide range of mental health conditions. These affect the way we think of ourselves, connect with others, and function in our daily lives. These are disorders that can affect your thinking, your behavior, or your mood. Culture, beliefs, and background all influence how we understand mental illness.

A substantial percentage of people will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lives. However, when the symptoms or signs of mental illness are chronic, severe, or begin to affect your daily life, the condition becomes a mental illness.

There are over two hundred forms of mental illness, and they're organized in groups for classification. The main classes of mental illness include:

• Trauma-related and stressor-related disorders
• Dissociative disorders
• Depressive disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Bipolar and related disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
• Schizophrenia spectrum and psychotic disorders
• Personality disorders
• Sleep-wake disorders
• Elimination disorders
• Paraphilic disorders
• Neurocognitive disorders
• Substance-related and addictive disorders
• Gender dysphoria
• Sexual dysfunctions
• Feeding and eating disorders
• Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders
• Somatic symptom and related disorders

The type of symptoms of signs of mental illness you experience depends on the cause of the mental illness you're experiencing.

Some examples of the symptoms and signs of mental illness to watch for include:

• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Changes to sleeping or eating habits
• Intense fears (can be irrational)
• Suicidal thoughts
• Strong, uncontrollable feelings of anger, violence, or hostility
• Extreme mood swings (highs and lows)
• Delusions, hallucinations, or paranoia
• Changes to sex drive
• Excessive alcohol or drug use
• Extreme feelings of guilt or worry
• Inability to concentrate
• Confusion or feeling lost
• Inability to cope with daily stresses
• Difficulty relating to other people
• Feeling sad, down, or lethargic
• Disinterest with activities that previously brought joy
• Frequent angry outbursts or tantrums
• Hyperactivity
• Changes in work or school performance
• Hypochondria
• Lack of energy or motivation

Because mental illnesses affect our state of consciousness, mental illnesses are often believed to be caused by your brain. More specifically, some scientists believe that when there are communication problems between neurons in your brain (neurotransmission), it causes mental illness.

However, these results aren’t conclusively replicable, as of yet. Some theories challenge the validity of neurotransmission changes, because it’s unclear whether these changes occurred before or after signs of mental illness appeared. This means that neurotransmission changes could potentially be a mental illness symptom, rather than a cause.

Another theory is that mental illness can be caused by the brain-gut axis, meaning that certain microbiota in our food could contribute to mental illnesses. Although this theory is also not conclusively proven, there are certain microbiota that are associated specifically with depression.

There are other biological factors that could possibly cause mental illness, such as:

• Infections
• Brain injuries or defects
• Prenatal damage or environmental exposures before birth
• Heredity caused by genetics
• Substance abuse
• Emotional or physical trauma
• Extremely stressful situations
• Chronic medical conditions

Before providing a diagnosis for mental illness, the doctor will want to have physical and psychological examinations performed. They’ll also discuss if you or any family members have a history of mental illness, and the signs of mental illness you're experiencing.

In some cases, the doctor may suggest that you also have additional testing done. This is to check for any underlying conditions, such as testing hormone levels to see if they could be the cause of your mental illness symptoms.

Once the doctor is able to confirm a mental illness diagnosis, they'll be able to make appropriate recommendations for your mental illness treatments.

If you've begun noticing signs of mental illness, you should talk to a doctor.

While most people experience mental health conditions at some point in their lives, their symptoms can sometimes be treated before they become mental illnesses.

A doctor on Maple will be able to help provide you with a clear mental illness diagnosis. They can also direct you towards resources for addressing your mental illness symptoms, such as psychotherapies.

When necessary, they can also provide prescription mental illness medications, which you may need to control your symptoms.

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with our network of Canadian-licensed doctors, nurse practitioners and specialists via secure text, audio or video call. Sign in to your Maple account to start a visit. Learn more about how Maple works here.

A visit works a lot like an in-person appointment. A doctor or nurse practitioner will ask about your symptoms, review your health history and recommend a treatment plan that's right for you. Sometimes, you might need to see someone in person. When that happens, we'll help you figure out what comes next.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to care online. Connect with our network of Canadian-licensed doctors and nurse practitioners in minutes via secure text, audio or video call.

Membership is $85/month. One membership, care for your whole family. In eligible provinces, membership includes:

• Daily visits: one visit a day with a doctor or nurse practitioner for each family member in your household
• Paediatric care: covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment
• Second Medical Opinion: when you're unsure about a complex diagnosis, like cancer or MS, or want to understand all your options, you and your family can access an expert Second Medical Opinion
• Personal Health Check-Ins: personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to help you stay on top of your health
• iCBT courses: internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy self-assessments and courses
• Specialists: see a specialist in days, not months. No referral necessary.
• Specialist referrals: a referral to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed

Membership can't be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. A Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) may cover your membership fees. Check with your HSA provider for details.

Your Maple monthly membership covers virtual care for you, your spouse and your dependents under the age of 18 who share the same primary residence. Full disclaimer and refund policy here.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX, plus Google Pay and Apple Pay.

Privacy is at the core of how we deliver care. We follow Canadian privacy and healthcare laws, including PIPEDA and PHIPA, to protect your personal and health information.

Our policies and consent processes are simple and easy to understand, so you stay in control. Strong security infrastructure and strict data policies protect every session. You keep control of your personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. We also work with leading experts and review our policies regularly.

All doctors and nurse practitioners who deliver care through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their regulatory colleges. They must follow the telemedicine policies set by the medical regulator in each province.

Regulators across Canada recognize the value of virtual care. It helps improve access to care for patients and makes care delivery more efficient for practitioners and Canada's healthcare system.