The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child should be universally recognized and supported. However, this is not the case, even for wealthy nations like Canada. Canada is ranked 30th among 38 wealthy nations for its mental health and wellbeing of children.
The low mental health status of Canadian children and youth and the lack of services and support for them and their families underscores the need to invest in and prioritize mental support and services, an appeal that made before the pandemic. The best time to take action was then, and the second-best is now.
Mental health issues in children and adolescents in Canada
The COVID-19 epidemic has exacerbated mental health issues in children. Substance abuse, eating disorders, and anxiety or mood problems are all on the rise. In Canada, the number of children presenting at emergency departments with mental health concerns has increased.
According to Canadian studies, almost 25 percent of parents say that the mental health of their children has declined during the COVID-19 Pandemic. As mental health issues increase, so does the need for support and services.
Crisis in access to mental health services for children
Before the pandemic, there were over 28,000 children waiting for mental health services in Ontario. The wait time was more than 2.5 years. (Shutterstock)
Children’s Mental Health Ontario and the over 50% of parents still believe their children are suffering negative effects from the pandemic.
Our research group at Universite Laval found similar results for Quebec in Spring 2022 based on a survey of 2,500 parents. In fact, over 50% of parents of children aged six to 17 believed that their child needed help in dealing with emotional or behavioral problems within the last six months. The results of this study are quite striking, especially when compared with a 2014 Ontario study where 18.9% of parents felt that their child needed mental health care.
It is not surprising that children’s mental healthcare providers in Canada have reported significant increases of mental health services demand. This includes a doubled number of calls and waiting times. The pandemic had a number of consequences, including increased anxiety and depression in parents.
This pandemic is being described as a generational catastrophe. It affects children and youth who belong to equity-deserving groups. These include children of First Nations, Metis and Inuit, children in racialized groups, youth with gender and sexual diversity, and children with disabilities. This pandemic has been described as a a href=”https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sg_policy_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf”>generational catastrophe/a>, especially for children and youth from disadvantaged groups, including First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children, young people with disabilities, and those who are racialized.
Call to Action
1. Prevention of mental health issues: Early intervention is key
It is best to prevent mental health problems from developing by implementing policies and services that will help to curb them. It makes sense to focus on the early years because many mental health problems in early adulthood are based. As a result, improved early childhood services, increased awareness of early child mental health, education and support for caregivers, community providers and early mental health promotion , are all important.
National Child Day in Canada
In Canada, National Child Day also takes place on November 20th to celebrate our commitment to protecting children’s rights. This day also provides an opportunity to reflect on commitments, policies, and initiatives that have been put into place, as well those that still need to be. It is no longer possible to wait. Today is the day to start preparing for our children’s future.
