‘The kids are not alright’: Young Canadians describe mental health struggles

Abby Walker has benefitted from therapy and speaks to others about youth mental health. (Abby Walker)

Going into Grade 10, Abby Walker switched schools and struggled to make friends. At the time she had no idea she was suffering from depression.

“I blamed myself,” said Walker. “I thought that there was something wrong with me, and I didn’t really understand why.”

She says she slept all the time and stayed in her room almost every night, scrolling through social media sites. She felt lonely and sad.

“I didn’t know that there was help available because I didn’t even know what mental health was.”

In university, she developed an eating disorder and started therapy. It was only then she realized her earlier depression had gone undiagnosed.

Today, Walker is an advocate for open conversations about mental health and works to remove the stigma around it. She’s a speaker for Jack.org, a network of young people supporting one another through mental health challenges.

“There’s still so much work that needs to be done,” said Abby. “Young people are still seeing mental health as something that can make them weak. And because of that, they don’t want to reach out for support.”

According to Mental Health Research Canada, 1.25 million youth in Canada need mental health supports every year, yet more than half of them aren’t receiving it.

“Sadly, we’ve gone from a situation of bad to worse,” said Sara Austin, CEO of Children First Canada. “The kids are not alright.”

Advocates say youth mental health has been in decline over the last decade. The pandemic exacerbated these issues, leading to significant drops in physical activity and socialization, particularly among girls. Excessive screen time and worries about the state of the world and climate change have further added to the problem.

“We know that those pandemic restrictions were lifted a long time ago, but kids aren’t rubber balls. They don’t just bounce back,” says Austin. “Many of them have faced traumatic experiences that are going to take years to recover from, and they’re not getting the support they need.”

The numbers are stark: surveys suggest roughly one in four young people have had thoughts of suicide. It is now the second leading cause of death among young Canadians.

“That’s a shocking statistic that really should shake us to the core,” says Austin.

For 12-year-old Eluin Oudhoff, who uses they/them pronouns, the struggle was personal. They began having suicidal thoughts back in 2022.

“At one point, I started hurting myself,” says Oudhoff. “I guess you could say I was depressed.”

When Oudhoff sought therapy, they faced a six month wait for an appointment. “It sucked that I had to wait so long just to start getting help.”

But Oudhoff says the therapists at Ottawa’s children’s hospital CHEO were “awesome” and that opening up to people was the difference maker.

“It helped me so much, I learned so many different coping mechanisms. It was amazing,” says Oudhoff. “I just want to say it gets better, which I know might sound boring, but it does get better.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available:

• Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline (1-833-456-4566)
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1 800 463-2338)
• Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645)
• Kids Help Phone [phone])

If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.