A research paper called From Couch to Crisis has revealed that the number of youth presenting to emergency level services with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation has been rising in the province the last eight years.
It also details that the prevalence of mental health disorders among youth aged 9-19 is 23.4%, much higher than the national average of 19.8%.
Child, Youth and Seniors’ Advocate Kelly Lamrock, author of From Couch to Crisis, spoke at a Youth Mental Health Symposium yesterday in downtown Fredericton, addressing youth and other professionals in the field on issues addressed in the paper.
Lamrock says there are ongoing challenges with barriers to entry for care, creating more community resources and with how adults examine their world and its impacts on youth.
