Health advocacy work helped to heal Mark Holland during mental health crisis
OTTAWA — Newly appointed Health Minister Mark Holland says advocating for health research and preventive medicine gave him a sense of purpose during the darkest time in his life.
Holland was in politics for most of his career, except for a four-year break after he lost his seat in 2011.
He spoke candidly last fall about the mental-health struggle he endured at that time, revealing during a committee appearance that he had tried to take his own life.
He started working for Heart & Stroke after his election loss and he says that his work for the foundation in health promotion gave him a much-needed sense of professional purpose after politics.