Boys and Girls Clubs promote positive mental health and well-being in children and youth

September 30 to October 6 is Mental Illness Awareness week in Canada. Since 1992, it has aimed to shed light on the reality of mental illness and the accompanying stigma. So let’s shed some light on the mental health of children and youth.

For many, adolescence is a time when they first experience symptoms related to mental health issues.  In fact, one in seven youths under the age of 19 experiences a mental health issue serious enough to affect his or her development and ability to participate fully in day-to-day life. 10 to 20 percent of young people experience symptoms related to anxiety. Youth under the age of 20 have the highest rate of depression symptoms.

And the consequences of poor mental health are much too serious to ignore. Mental health issues in youth can lead to increased risk-taking and negative behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse, unprotected sex, crime. And far too many young people die of suicide.

We can all help to prevent mental health issues in children and youth by taking important preventative measures. We can start by addressing family violence, abuse and bullying; forms of discrimination such as homophobia and racism; poverty and economic marginalization; and how we socialize girls and boys. Most of all, we can foster quality relationships with the children and youth in our lives.

All youth deserve a state of well-being that allows them to realize their own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully and make a contribution to their community. Together, we can work to make mental health for all children and youth a reality.

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