A Surrey high school student is calling for improved access to mental health support after a recent national study highlighted depression as one of the top 10 threats to young people.

The Children First Canada study, published Wednesday (Sept. 1), notes that COVID-19 has accelerated some existing threats to children. These include unintentional and preventable injuries, such as opioid poisoning; poor mental health; systemic racism and discrimination; child abuse, vaccine-preventable illnesses; poverty; food and nutritional insecurity; infant mortality; bullying and limited physical activity.

91裸聊视频淜ids are in crisis and have experienced widespread violations of their human rights,91裸聊视频� the report states. 91裸聊视频淐hild advocates say what is most shocking is that despite the overwhelming evidence about the threats to children91裸聊视频檚 survival and development, so little has been done to intervene by government at all levels.91裸聊视频�

Enver Creek Secondary student Simi Sahota, who is going into Grade 12 this year and is a volunteer with Children First Canada, said many of the threats are interconnected.

A key issue with mental health support in B.C., Sahota said, is access.

91裸聊视频淚 have spoken to many other youth who have suffered with mental health. Just reaching out is such a hard part. I know so many people who reached out to these hot-lines and numbers you can call, they are then put on wait-lists and put on hold because they91裸聊视频檝e just been over flooded,91裸聊视频� Sahota said.

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91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 hard to imagine, just once you finally reach out for help, you91裸聊视频檙e just put on hold.91裸聊视频�

Sahota said the problem with lack of access will continue far beyond the pandemic, because the long-term damaging effects of COVID-19 are not going to go away.

91裸聊视频淲e need to see better resources and funding within our mental health facilities and in our schools to help us reach out,91裸聊视频� she said.

Asked if teachers talk to students about mental health supports, Sahota replied that about half of them do. She said teachers who do talk about it, speak to the importance of looking after mental health, 91裸聊视频渂ut they don91裸聊视频檛 tell us how.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e kind of rely on other youth to talk about it, but we know that91裸聊视频檚 not proper care. We need to be talking to someone professional like a counsellor, a therapist, or a hot-line,91裸聊视频� she said, adding that school counsellors have a busy schedule.

91裸聊视频淓verywhere we go everyone has been struggling, so all of the resources have been taken up and there91裸聊视频檚 no one to turn to.91裸聊视频�

In addition to mental health, Sahota said the rise in anti-Asian racism has left many youth scared for themselves and their elders.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e seen the rise in anti-Asian hate and it91裸聊视频檚 just so baseless,91裸聊视频� Sahota said. 91裸聊视频淧eople are scared to admit that they have COVID-19, especially Asian people within my school, because they are scared of all this prejudice that they might face because of that.91裸聊视频�

Minister of Addictions and Mental Health Sheila Malcolmson said the provincial government has heard 91裸聊视频渓oud and clear91裸聊视频� that investments in child and youth mental health is 91裸聊视频渢he most important thing we can do as a province.91裸聊视频�

Asked about wait times for youth trying to access support, Malcolmson said wait times have been reduced.

91裸聊视频淏ut I agree, a wait time when you91裸聊视频檙e in crisis is terrible news,91裸聊视频� Malcolmson said.

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Malcolmson said the government is set to launch a new website to help youth navigate the mental health support system, she also made note of Foundry Virtual BC app, launched earlier this year.

People aged 12-24 and their caregivers can use the app to 91裸聊视频渄rop-in91裸聊视频� or schedule a virtual counselling appointment, find peer support, join a youth group or caregiver group, or browse a library of tools and resources.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 focused on problem solving as opposed to long-term counselling,91裸聊视频� Malcolmson said.

91裸聊视频淭he young people I91裸聊视频檝e talked to said it made a huge difference in their lives. That is something we91裸聊视频檙e invested heavily in as a province because we really want to take that pressure off the wait-list and get young people connected to help immediately.91裸聊视频�

Malcolmson said the government is also adding 300 full-time mental health workers in communities across province, starting with five school districts.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 again a way of getting connected with young people who need help with mental health early so that the smaller problems don91裸聊视频檛 turn into big ones.91裸聊视频�

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, mental health disorders in youth are ranked as the second-highest hospital care expenditure in Canada, with 3.2 million youth between the ages of 12 and 19 at risk for developing depression.

One of the leading causes of death in Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 is suicide, with 4,000 people dying by suicide each year.

Children First Canada study below:

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aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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