The pandemic has done Quebecers no favors, let alone young people aged 12 to 25, whose mental health has deteriorated considerably over the past year, according to a new survey by the University of Sherbrooke and the Integrated university health and social services center (CIUSSS) of Estrie-CHUS.
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At least 50% of young people surveyed over the age of 16 indicated that they had symptoms of anxiety or depression ranging from moderate to severe, according to the study unveiled on Wednesday.
Even more disturbingly, 25% of young people surveyed thought they would be better off dead or considered harming themselves. A phenomenon that would also be on the rise among CEGEP students.
Excessive alcohol consumption has also increased among young Quebecers, while vaping has decreased.
Covering several themes such as psychological health, attraction to school or substance use, the survey showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has directly harmed the mental, but also physical, health of young people.
“The results show that special attention should be paid to certain groups of young people at higher risk. For example, young people with another gender identity or young people going through periods of transition such as the transition from high school to CEGEP,” said Dr. Mélissa Généreux, professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke and physician -Advisor to the Public Health Department of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS.
The young people mentioned that they wanted to get back to their activities, sports and social contacts to find a semblance of normality in their daily lives.
“In our analysis, we believe that it is also urgent to equip parents so that they can detect signs of distress in their child, the figures are so worrying,” said Dr. Généreux.
Nearly 33,000 young people from 106 educational institutions in Estrie, Mauricie, Montérégie, Centre-du-Québec and the Laurentians responded to the online survey.
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Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com