Young people report worsening mental health, especially girls: research

According to a study conducted in 2019 and 2023, mental health for young people worsened as they grew into adulthood – especially among girls.

Statistics Canada released new results from the 2023 Canadian Health Survey of Children and Youth this week, which followed a similar survey conducted in 2019, before the pandemic. The survey asked young people to rate their mental health using one of five options: “very good,” “very good,” “good,” “fair” or “poor.”

In the original survey, 12 percent of the 12- to 17-year-old age group rated their mental health in the lowest two categories. In 2023, when the group is 16 to 21 years old, that number increased to 26 percent.

In 2019, among girls ages 12 to 17, only 16 percent said their mental health was “fair” or “poor.” Among the same group of people, when the survey was conducted again four years later, that number rose to 33 percent.

At the same time, the number of boys who rated themselves as “good” or “poor” went from seven to 19 percent.

Alisa Simon, executive vice president, mental health reform and chief youth officer for Kids Help Phone, said the statistics don’t surprise her.

Kids Help Phone connects youth via phone, text message and online mental health support in Canada. Simon said last year, the service had the highest number of connections in the organization’s history.

He said: “We are seeing young people reaching out for support for their mental health in unprecedented numbers.

Simon said that over the past few years, topics such as suicide, self-harm and isolation have become more common. As of 2019, Kids Help Phone has seen conversations about self-harm by 82 per cent.

“I think what we’re seeing is the continuing impact of this epidemic,” Simon said. “It may lose relationships and social skills because of this epidemic. Indeed the increase in time spent on the Internet by young people and social media, which both can provide connectivity but also a way to cut off dramatically at the same time.”

What parents see

As part of a Statistics Canada survey in 2019, parents were asked to rate their children’s mental health.

The report highlighted the difference in how parents viewed their child’s mental health and how the children themselves said they felt.

Just eight per cent of 15- to 17-year-olds are said to have “poor” or “fair” mental health by their parents – less than half the true figure (17 percent) of young people rated themselves as “poor” or “fair.”

“As a parent, I always hope – like other parents – that our children will come to us,” said Simon. “The truth is that when young people grow up, they face different problems. There is no need for them to come to us to talk about what is happening with them.”

Simon said parents should communicate freely with their children and let them know there is a safe place they can turn to. Parents should also keep an eye on behavioral changes, pay attention if their child seems to behave differently, or if they notice a difference in the way they sleep or eat.

“But at the end of the day, we cannot force our children to talk to us,” he said. “So we also need to be open about the fact that talking to someone is important, to have a safe adult that they can go to.”

Simon said that although the increase in girls seeking help is heartbreaking, it is also a good sign that children feel they have the strength to make friends with them.

“I always see young people coming to us as a wake-up call about what’s going on in young people’s lives, but also times of hope,” he said.

Simon said mental health is an issue that affects all families, citing the US Surgeon General’s advice that parental stress and mental health are at alarming levels.

According to the report, “41 percent of parents say that most days they are so stressed that they cannot work and 48 percent say that most days they are completely stressed.”

Simon said it was important for mental health to be an open topic for parents and carers.

“We need to keep talking about what’s happening with our children in Canada and around the world,” he said. “We need to understand that they are facing unprecedented challenges.”

Kids Help Phone provides mental health and crisis support for youth through online chat, text messages and by phone at 1-800-668-6868. Visit to Children’s Aid website for more details.