Thanks for participating in our survey on mental health this past December and January. About 1450 of you took the survey, and we have to say, you taught us a lot about how youth understand mental health.

What is mental health?

Most of you have a pretty good idea of what mental health is, and what it means to have a mental health issue. Here’s what we learned:

You have a good idea of how common mental health concerns are for young people. The majority of you believed that 10%-20% of young people struggle with their mental health. Current research puts this number closer to 20% (or 1 in 5), but 10% is still pretty accurate.

You are great at identifying myths and realities about mental health. For example:

• 88% of you know that you can’t just “snap” out of a mental health issue
• 94% of you know that mental health problems aren’t related to how smart you are
• 90% of you are aware that mental health problems are treatable
• 86% of you realize that people with mental health issues can lead meaningful and productive lives.
• One myth that some of you had trouble with was: “All a person needs to overcome a mental health problem is willpower and a positive attitude.” About half of you believed this to be true, but it’s actually false.

There are a few common ways that mental health professionals define mental illness. Some of the things they look at are:

• Some people define mental illness in medical terms (i.e. by looking at brain chemicals, or specific ways that the brain works)
• Others define mental illness in terms of behaviours and feelings that are different from normal or average experience
• Others think of mental illness in terms of the ways that mental illness affects a person’s ability to do everyday things

Many of you defined mental illness in similar ways:

• 30% believed that mental illness had something to do with a person’s brain and the way it naturally works
• 14% believed that mental illness had to do with feelings and behaviours
• 13% believed that mental illness is something that affects a person’s everyday life.

Reaching out

We also learned how you feel about reaching out for help:

Half of you would think about talking to someone if you were struggling with a mental health issue. That also means that about half of you wouldn’t talk to someone about a mental health issue, which is something we’d like to see change. Click here for some tips on what to do if you’re struggling but aren’t sure how to open up.

Those of you who would consider getting help for a mental health issue said that you were most likely to reach out to a friend for support.

• Friends can be a great source of support, but it’s best if they’re not your only source of support. Can you think of a trusted adult who you could also reach out to?
• About 25% of you said you might talk to your parents about your mental health if you thought you had a problem
• 18% of you said you’d call Kids Help Phone

Most of you said that you wouldn’t consider getting help for a mental health issue unless the following things were in place:

• Confidentiality—knowing that what you told the other person would stay private
• Non-judgment—knowing that the person you spoke to wouldn’t think any less of you
• Trust—feeling that you could really get the help you needed from the person you spoke to

The main reasons you offered to explain why you would not speak up if you were concerned about your mental health was the fear of being judged or rejected by others. Another big reason was the fear that others wouldn’t care enough to help. These are pretty common worries for young people, but they shouldn’t stand between you and getting the support you deserve. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you’d like to talk through some strategies on how to ask for support.

While many of you said that you wouldn’t feel comfortable asking for help, the majority of you said you would tell a friend to get help if they were worried about their mental health. Good advice, don’t you think?

To learn more about mental health, visit our Info Booth or your local library. If you are worried about your mental health or the mental health of a friend, it’s a good idea to talk to an adult you trust, such as a parent, guidance counsellor, or doctor. You can also check out these tips, or call us or write to us at Kids Help Phone

Thanks again for taking our survey!