Jennifer Lamoureux is upset. She is confused. She does not want to be here. The struggling Windsorite spent months in hospital against her will this year after a mental breakdown and an ambulance ride to the emergency department.
She is among thousands of people involuntarily hospitalized for mental health reasons over the last few years in Windsor-Essex, where such hospitalizations occur at significantly higher rates than the Canadian average. Canada itself has the highest rate per capita in the western world.
“I just want my freedom back,” Lamoureux, 54, told the Star in February over the phone from the mental health unit at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. “My dog is at home by herself, and people are checking on her. I want to go home. I want to be with my dog. I just want to live my life.”
Lamoureux said her first involuntary hospital stay was about two years ago. She also spent the end of January this year, along with most of February and March, at Windsor Regional Hospital and Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.
Lamoureux, who lives on disability benefits, said she has been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, and mild autism. “About 15 years ago, I was not having problems but I just got depressed,” said Lamoureux. “I got on the couch. I am starving. I cannot get groceries. The toilet broke, this broke, that broke. And I cannot do anything about it. And I sit here, stuck every day, trying to fight my way out on $760 a month.”
Her hands shake constantly, whether squeezing them in her lap or holding up a booklet of medication to show the collection of pills she must take. “That is my nerves,” said Lamoureux, who was recently released from the hospital for the second time this year. “I just get shaky.”
She bounces back and forth between the belief she was unnecessarily hospitalized and other perceived injustices to various conspiracy theories that agitate her. Her tiny west-end home, with a scribbled warning about security cameras in the front window, is somewhat scattered. Coffee and end tables are covered by half-empty Coke and Pepsi bottles, cigarette packs, and sticky notes. Large holes span the length of a hallway wall. Clothes are stuffed in milk crates against the living room wall. A single slipper peeks out from under a sofa, which is missing a cushion. Delilah, her two-year-old black lab-beagle mix, ricochets around the room.
“I want you to know my mental health is totally fine,” said Lamoureux.
The number of involuntary psychiatric hospital admissions fluctuates in the Windsor region, according to data compiled for the Star by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). But the lowest number in the last decade was in 2015-2016, when 1,215 people in the Windsor Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) were hospitalized against their will. It peaked in 2022-2023 at 2,006.
Involuntary Hospitalization Rates in Windsor
Data from CIHI reveals that Windsor's involuntary hospitalization rates consistently exceed the Canadian average. In 2022-2023, the rate was 1,006 per 100,000 population, compared to the national average of 650 per 100,000. This disparity raises concerns about mental health care access and patient rights in the region.
Patient Perspectives
Lamoureux's story highlights the personal toll of involuntary hospitalization. She expressed frustration with the system, stating, “I just want my freedom back.” Her experience underscores the need for balanced approaches that prioritize both safety and autonomy.
Mental health advocates have criticized the high rates of involuntary treatment, calling for more community-based supports and early intervention programs. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens has supported pilot projects for involuntary mental health and addiction treatment, sparking debate among advocates who argue for less coercive measures.
As the region grapples with these challenges, Lamoureux hopes for a future where she can live independently with her dog, Delilah, and regain control over her life.
