Page 4 - Professional Advisory: Supporting Students' Mental Health

one in five students – experience a mental health illness or concern in any given year.3 “Seventy per cent of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence.”4 “An estimated 1.2 million children and youth are affected by mental illness, yet less than 20 per cent receive appropriate treatment”.5 Further, “suicide accounts for 24 per cent of all deaths among 15-24-year-olds in Canada” and is the second leading cause of death among teens.6 Nearly one-quarter (23.4 per cent) of First Nations youth reported psychological distress scores which suggested that they were likely to have a moderate to severe mental disorder.7 The lifetime prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts among First Nations youth was 16 per cent and 10.3 per cent respectively.8
The spectrum of mental illness covers students from all backgrounds and across all grades. Many live with illness. Awareness, sensitivity and guidance are vital to helping students learn, grow and adapt regardless of obstacle or need.
Optimal mental health enables good learning. That said, everyone, at some point in life, experiences challenges involving self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, confidence, mood and concentration. These concerns may be temporary or lasting, but they should never go unrecognized.
Early recognition and intervention is critical for mental health issues for students of all ages. Many illnesses develop and peak in the inter- mediate/secondary grades. Thus it is important that teachers be able to identify children at risk.9
Ontario students rate their mental health lower than their physical health – with nine per cent indicating fair or poor physical health versus
19 per cent expressing fair or poor mental health.10 Students themselves recognize the growing need for assistance. In “A Turning Point for Education: The Student Platform”11, the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association - l’Asso- ciation des élèves conseillers et conseillères
de l’Ontario (OSTA-AECO) identified student well-being, 21st century learning, and equitable access to opportunities as three pillars of a strong education system. OSTA-AECO’s survey data said that students wanted to talk to someone about a mental health problem but did not know who to approach. Further, OSTA-AECO said that student access to supports for well- being varied significantly across the province and they recommended mandatory suicide inter- vention training for guidance counsellors.
The Role of Ontario Certified Teachers
College members are a recognized support in the service of students’ mental health. By under- standing the characteristics of mental health,
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10 11
Canadian Mental Health Association cmha.ca/about-cmha/fast-facts-about-mental-illness; Children’s Mental Health Ontario cmho.org/education-resources/teacher-resources
cmho.org/education-resources/facts-figures
Mental Health Commission of Canada mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/what-we-do/children-and-youth
Canadian Mental Health Association cmha.ca/about-cmha/fast-facts-about-mental-illness
First Nations Regional Health Survey, Phase 3, Volume 1, Page 70, March 2018
First Nations Regional Health Survey, Phase 3, Volume 2, Page 134, July 2018
Dr. Alice Charach, Presentation at 6th Mental Health Law for Children & Youth Workshop: What’s Trending in Child & Youth Mental Health, April 9, 2018
2017 Mental Health and Well-being Among Ontario Students, CAMH, Ontario Student Drug Use and Health survey
A Turning Point for Education: The Student Platform, Ontario Student Trustees’ Association - l’Association des élèves
conseillers et conseillères de l’Ontario, Jan. 10, 2018, osta-aeco.org/assets/OSTA-AECO-Student-Platform.pdf 2 PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY: SUPPORTING STUDENTS‘ MENTAL HEALTH