A large-scale study has been tracking teens in Ontario for the last 20 years.
One-third of students in the recent survey were found to have moderate to severe symptoms of psychological distress. The higher up the grades the worse the situation.
“We are creating generations of kids who think life has to be stress-free. We have not been teaching them how to solve the problems causing the stress.” Stan Kutcher, psychiatrist specialist in adolescent mental health, Dalhousie University
“Many stress-inducing factors are beyond the control of any mental-health strategy. However, early intervention and school-based education have worked before.” Dr Robert Mann, senior scientist and co-lead of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) www.camh.ca
“Teens are the ‘canaries down the mine’ – they are the sentinels of what is wrong with families, communities and, through social media, society at large. Today’s disturbed teens are tomorrow’s statistics. How many more studies do we need before we put more resources into teen mental health? “ Marshall Korenblum, chief psychiatrist, Hincks-Dellcrest Centre for Children and Families, Toronto