 The association is also known to release public statements addressing different laws, regulations, and governmental initiatives that affect mental health.The Canadian Mental Health Association originally started as the Canadian National Committee for Mental Hygiene (CNCMH) in response to the hundreds of soldiers returning from World War I experiencing mental illness.Veterans' were place in prisons and asylums and Dr. Clarence M. Hincks noticed the lack of support, doctors and treatment inside these institutions, thus creating the need to change.