On November 5th, 2024, the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) publicly released an article on youth mental health leveraging the results from the 2023-2024 edition of the New Brunswick Student Wellness and Education Survey. The article pays particular attention to the relation that exists between protective and risk factors and youth mental health.
This survey, conducted each fall in all public schools across the province, allows the NBHC to inform citizens, schools, districts, service providers, and decision-makers about the wellness of young people at the local level. Over 70,000 participants contributed to the 2023-2024 New Brunswick Student Wellness and Education Survey.
"Canada and New Brunswick face an ongoing challenge in declining youth mental health, which the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated. However, the findings from our survey suggest that youth mental health seems to be getting slightly better" explains Stéphane Robichaud, Chief Executive Officer.
The NBHC has drawn the following observations:
- After years of decline, youth mental health appears to show some signs of improvement when it comes to levels of resilience, mental fitness and symptoms of anxiety or depression.
- There is a relation between certain protective and risk factors and youth mental health, according to the analysis of the Student Wellness and Education Survey results. These findings are consistent with the research literature.
- NBHC communities with the best results for key protective and risk factors also demonstrate better youth mental health outcomes.
"It is important to keep in mind that adolescence is a crucial time for developing coping mechanisms. This underscores the importance of focusing on this stage to lay the foundation for healthy adulthood. This survey provides valuable insights into changing behaviours, which can inform future interventions and policies." adds Robichaud.
These results, along with all the other indicators from the 2023-2024 edition of the New Brunswick Student Wellness and Education Survey are accessible on our website.
Access the full article here : New Brunswick Youth Mental Health
For interview requests, please contact:
Nay O’Leary
Executive Director, Citizen Engagement
Phone: 506-869-6728
Email: Nay.OLeary@nbhc.ca