(Pixabay photo)
More than half of middle and high school students in Ontario say they’re experiencing a significant level of psychological distress, a figure that has doubled over the past decade, new research shows.
According to a Canadian Press story, the survey of more than 10,000 students in grades 7 to 12 highlights a “worrying” decline in youth mental health, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto said Wednesday.
Data collected from 235 schools across Ontario between November 2022 and June 2023 also shows that 19 per cent of surveyed students engaged in self-harm, and 18 per cent had serious thoughts about suicide in the previous year.
“The picture is that students are struggling,” Hayley Hamilton, the survey lead and co-director of CAMH’s institute for mental health policy research, said in an interview.
Locally, resources like the Renfrew County Youth Wellness Hub and Robbie Dean Counselling Centre can support youth mental health.
(Canadian Press/Sherry Haaima)