When statistics indicate that adolescent females in the Okanagan are more likely than females across BC to think about and attempt suicide, that’s a problem that needs to be addressed, according to School District No. 53.
The board recently discussed the Okanagan results of the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey conducted by the McCreary Centre Society.
Key findings
Males generally reported better mental health than females, including higher rates of self-confidence and lower rates of stress, despair, self-harm and suicide attempts.
Local females were more likely than their BC counterparts to have thought about suicide (21 per cent vs 17 per cent), and to have attempted suicide (12 per cent vs nine per cent).
Local school board chair Marieze Tarr said of great concern is that most students miss out on accessing mental health services because they do not want their parents to know.
“We want to urge parents to please talk to their children about their mental health so that we as a society can rid ourselves of the stigma of mental illness,” Tarr said.
She noted the district is trying very hard to address the mental health of its students but the board needs the support of parents and the community.
The health survey indicated that females in the Okanagan were more likely than those across BC to have a health condition or disability.
Females were more likely than males to report having a mental or emotional health condition (19 per cent vs six per cent).
Local youth most commonly reported having depression (12 per cent), anxiety disorder (11 per cent), and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (eight per cent).
Rates of ADHD were higher among local males (10 per cent vs seven per cent provincially). And local females were more likely than females across BC to report depression (19 per cent vs 13 per cent).
Among local females, extreme despair was higher in 2013 than five and 10 years earlier (10 per cent in 2013).
Eight per cent of males and 28 per cent of females reported cutting or injuring themselves on purpose.
District Superintendent of Schools Bev Young said it is concerning that female students have significant body image issues even when they are at a healthy weight. Of particular concern are the findings around mental health, she acknowledged.
But Young said the report showed some positive trends for Okanagan students – 87 per cent felt their health was good or excellent.
“Risky sexual behaviour decreased, fewer youth tried tobacco, alcohol and marijuana, and school safety has increased,” she pointed out.
But the superintendent noted it is very concerning that female students were almost four times as likely as males to not access mental health services when they thought they needed it.
Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes said one service provider at a recent child and youth committee meeting in Osoyoos said mental health care for youth is “sadly lacking.”
Hovanes said there are families who are looking for support, but the perception is they can only get it if their child is suicidal.
Young said another concern is that adolescents are not getting the recommended amount of sleep at night (8.5 to 9.25 hours). She stated a little over half of students met this recommendation.
After youth were supposed to go to sleep, 78 per cent of students were online or on their phone.
“This is of concern because it is impacting their physical and mental health. The more hours of sleep students got, the more likely they were to rate their mental health as good or excellent.”
Young believes that many district programs and the work of counsellors are addressing the problems indicated in the survey.
“Social and emotional learning is an important part of school focus now, but we need to work together with parents and other agencies to bring awareness.”
Other findings of the survey:
Having a stable home has been shown to be a protective factor in the lives of youth.
Those who stayed in the same home for the past year were less likely to: have self-harmed (16 per cent vs 25 per cent who had moved); have seriously considered suicide (12 per cent vs 20 per cent); or attempted suicide (seven per cent vs 13 per cent).
Among youth who had been teased to the point they felt bad, those who had not moved were more likely to feel like part of their community (34 per cent vs 24 per cent).
In 2008, 33 per cent of local youth had been teased, compared to 40 per cent in 2013.
Students who had been the victim of bullying were more likely to perpetrate that same type of bullying.
