Transcript Making the Right Connections:

Promoting positive mental health
among BC youth
Administration took place in Grade 7-12 classes
in 50 of the 59 BC School Districts.
 Over 29 000 surveys were collected in 1,760
classrooms between February and June 2008.

“In closing, I would like to say that I am a
healthy, fit person and I am happy with who I
am!”
BC Youth Participant
www.mcs.bc.ca
Making the Right Connections
Examples of self-esteem items
87%
92%
78%
I usually feel good about I am able to do things as
myself
www.mcs.bc.ca
well as most other people
I feel I have much to be
proud of
“I am comfortable and
proud of who I am and
definitely don’t want to
change anything or
anyone”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Seriously considered suicide in the past year
16%
16%
14%
12%
1992
www.mcs.bc.ca
1998
2003
2008
“They think it is a teenage
thing, they don’t realise it
is serious”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Experienced physical ailments in the past six
months
Males
22%
11%
Females
20%
16%
13%
12%
7%
Headaches
www.mcs.bc.ca
Backaches
Stomach-aches
8%
Dizziness
“Mental health is happiness
and self esteem. So having
good mental health you
choose things that are
healthy”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Reasons for not accessing mental health services
(among youth who needed them)
56%
Thought/hoped the problem will go away
43%
Didn't want parents to know
30%
Didn't know where to go
23%
Afraid someone I know might see me
21%
Afraid of what a Dr. would say/do
11%
I didn't think I could afford it
8%
Had no transportation
Parent/guardian would not take me
7%
I am not treated with respect there
3%
I couldn't go when it was open
3%
www.mcs.bc.ca
“There are counsellors but
you can’t really get hold of
them . They are too busy.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Making the Right Connections
Attempted suicide in the past year
21%
3%
Sexually abused
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No sexual abuse history
Ever self-harmed
42%
Physically abused
26%
17%
history
9%
Males
www.mcs.bc.ca
No physical abuse
Females
“Even though I have been
physically abused, I have
gotten help from the
police.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Post-secondary aspirations
76%
Born in Canada
www.mcs.bc.ca
84%
Born outside of Canada
Self-harm and suicide attempts by being teased
27%
12%
Teased
10%
Not teased
3%
Ever self-harmed
www.mcs.bc.ca
Attempted suicide
Extreme stress
24%
13%
Unstable home life
www.mcs.bc.ca
Stable home
Good/excellent health
85%
Post-secondary
aspirations
78%
55%
49%
Often or always go to Never or sometimes
bed hungry
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go to bed hungry
Often or always go to Never or sometimes
bed hungry
go to bed hungry
“I don’t want to have to be
responsible.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Health indicators by sexual orientation
LGB
79%
64%
100% heterosexual
58%
42%
28%
14%
Post-secondary
aspirations
www.mcs.bc.ca
Self-harmed
10%
4%
Considered
Attempted
suicide
suicide
“It’s 2010 people, c’mon.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Health of youth with a disability or chronic health condition
Good/excellent
health
Ever selfharmed
Considered
suicide in the
past year
Attempted
suicide in the
past year
No health
condition/disability
86%
15%
10%
4%
Any health
condition/disability
67%
35%
27%
16%
Specific mental or
emotional condition
(e.g., depression,
eating disorder)
54%
58%
52%
33%
www.mcs.bc.ca
Making the Right Connections
Injury prevention by ever self-harmed
68%
55%
Ever self-harmed
26%
14%
Always wears a seatbelt
Always wears a bike
helmet
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Never self-harmed
Making the Right Connections
Considered suicide by adult support
(among gay/bisexual males)
50%
No adult to confide in
44%
24%
Adult inside family
www.mcs.bc.ca
Have adult to confide in
29%
Adult outside family
People who youth found helpful
(among youth who sought help in the past year)
Friend
94%
Doctor or nurse
78%
Teacher
77%
School counsellor
67%
Religious leader
57%
Youth worker
54%
Other school staff
Social worker
www.mcs.bc.ca
52%
38%
Who youth asked for help
(among youth with a mental or emotional health condition)
Asked for help
Was helpful (among those who
asked for help)
Friend
84%
81%
Teacher
45%
59%
School counsellor
47%
63%
Other school staff
28%
36%
Youth worker
31%
51%
Doctor or nurse
44%
60%
Religious leader
23%
45%
Social worker
24%
40%
www.mcs.bc.ca
Post-secondary aspirations among youth who
asked professionals for support
61%
61%
60%
43%
41%
33%
Helpful
Not helpful
Teacher
www.mcs.bc.ca
Youth worker
Doctor or nurse
“[What’s important is]
knowing you have a place to
go if you need help –
parents, friends or
counsellors.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Weekly participation in activities in the past year
Sports/physical activity without
60%
a coach
Sports/physical activity with a
62%
57%
coach
50%
Hobby or craft
Art/drama/music
22%
Volunteering
22%
Dance/aerobics
Group or club
www.mcs.bc.ca
79%
11%
14%
18%
31%
31%
31%
58%
Males
Females
Positive body image by weekly dance/aerobics
(among males living in poverty)
38%
19%
Less than weekly involvement in
Weekly involvement in
dance/aerobics
dance/aerobics
www.mcs.bc.ca
Activities are
Ideas are listened to
meaningful
70%
52%
47%
40%
Often or always go Never or sometimes
to bed hungry
www.mcs.bc.ca
go to bed hungry
Physically abused No physical abuse
history
Meaningfulness of activities and mental health
20%
17%
14%
11%
6%
Extreme stress
www.mcs.bc.ca
8%
Not at all meaningful
Very meaningful
Extreme
Suicidal
despair
ideation
“I am healthy and I love
volunteering because I feel
proud to give back anything
towards the community.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Feeling good at sports linked to reduced self-
harm and suicidality
22%
15%
13%
Good at sports
9%
7%
3%
Self-harmed
www.mcs.bc.ca
Considered
Attempted
suicide
suicide
Did not report being
good at sports
Higher self-esteem by feeling good at school
subjects
74%
61%
60%
44%
Reported having
school-based skills
Did not report having
school-based skills
Males
www.mcs.bc.ca
Females
Feeling competent at sports linked to positive
mental health
(among sexual minority females)
76%
74%
53%
61%
Good at sports
Did not report being
good at sports
Good or excellent
Post-secondary
health
aspirations
www.mcs.bc.ca
“[Outdoor activity] programs
provide opportunities to
build friendship, get
exercise and have fun where
no one will be judged for
what they can do.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
Making the Right Connections
Good/excellent health by family connectedness
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
High
Low
Family connectedness
www.mcs.bc.ca
Considered suicide in past year
by school connectedness
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
Low
High
School connectedness
www.mcs.bc.ca
Considered or attempted suicide by having a
supportive adult in family
54%
38%
30%
19%
Have a supportive
adult in family
Do not have
supportive adult in
family
Considered suicide
www.mcs.bc.ca
Attempted suicide
High self-esteem by having a supportive adult
outside family
87%
78%
78%
65%
Have a supportive
adult outside family
Do not have
supportive adult
Feel good about self
Feel good about
abilities
www.mcs.bc.ca
outside family
Higher self-esteem by activity input
(among youth with a limiting health condition or
disability)
59%
17%
No input into activities
www.mcs.bc.ca
A lot of input into activities
Post-secondary aspirations among youth living
in unstable housing
72%
56%
Have friends who would disapprove
of getting arrested
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Friends would not disapprove
Making the Right Connections
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Most youth in BC reported positive mental
health and fewer youth are considering and
attempting suicide than in 2003.
Some youth face obstacles to achieving positive
mental health.
Over half (56%) of youth with a mental or
emotional health condition had not accessed
mental health services that they needed.
www.mcs.bc.ca
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Supportive peer and adult relationships are
linked to positive health outcomes for even the
most vulnerable youth.
Youth who could identify having skills or
competencies were more likely to report positive
mental health
Different skills played a role for different youth
www.mcs.bc.ca

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Family and school connectedness were the
protective factors most consistently associated with
positive mental health.
Feeling engaged and valued within extracurricular
activities was also protective.
Youth’s responses to the data consistently included
the need to access supportive adults and peer
mentors, as well as opportunities to engage in
activities that promoted their physical health.
www.mcs.bc.ca
“We need programs that give
youth a positive caring adult in
their lives, while also allowing
them to express their talents
and thoughts about their
communities.”
www.mcs.bc.ca
“The only thing you want out of life is a sense
of belonging. Whether through interactions
with peers, involvement in sports, or
volunteering in the community, the key to
healthy, happy youth is giving them
opportunities to feel engaged and useful, and
helping them feel that what they are doing is
important.”
www.mcs.bc.ca

Presentations of findings

Summary profiles

Youth fact sheet

‘Next Steps’ workshops –
taking results back to
youth
www.mcs.bc.ca
A series of 8 fact sheets accompany the
report, Making the right connections.
Summary profiles are available for:
• Youth living in poverty
• Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth
• Youth who had been sexually abused
• Youth with an unstable home life
• Youth who had been physically abused
• Immigrant youth
• Youth with a health condition or
disability
• Youth who had been teased or harassed
These and other fact sheets are available for
download at our website: www.mcs.bc.ca.
www.mcs.bc.ca
A by-youth for-youth fact sheet summarizing the
results of the report was created by Lucy Shen, a
member of McCreary’s Youth Advisory Council.
This and other by-youth
for-youth fact sheets are
also available for
download on our
website: www.mcs.bc.ca.
www.mcs.bc.ca
All reports available at:
www.mcs.bc.ca
[email protected]
[email protected]
1-604-291-1996
www.mcs.bc.ca