Topic: Mental Health

Children's independent mobility (CIM) represents their freedom to travel in their neighborhood without adult supervision. Secular declines in CIM coincided with a major increase in mental health problems among children. We investigated relationships between two indicators of CIM and parent-perceived child distress in a national longitudinal study...

Early adolescents who are new to Canada experience dual challenges of navigating developmental changes and multiple cultures. This study examined how changes in early adolescents’ emotional health from ages 9 to 12 differed by immigration background, and to what extent peer belonging and supportive school climate protected or promoted their emotional health.

Existing screening tools for mental health issues among postsecondary students have several challenges, including a lack of standardization and codevelopment by students. HEARTSMAP-U was adapted to address these issues. This preliminary evaluation suggests that HEARTSMAP-U may be suitable for screening in the postsecondary educational setting. However, a larger-scale evaluation is necessary to confirm and expand on these findings.

An estimated 15–22% of Canadian kindergarten-age children have a special health need (SHN), defined as a clinical diagnosis, a functional need requiring special accommodation at school, or a health condition leading to increased needs. Children with SHN may be more likely to experience mental health disorders than their peers without SHN, placing them at risk for further health and academic challenges. Our objective was to determine the odds of children with SHN identified in kindergarten being

Adolescent mental well-being has declined in the past decade. Much research relies on administrative data and population-based research incorporating youth voices and exploring protective factors for mental well-being is scarce. This study examined trends in adolescent mental well-being from 2015 to 2022 in British Columbia (BC), Canada. We examined sex differences in the trends, the role of protective factors in school, and the relative importance of protective factors for mental well-being.

This research paper explores the neurophysiological development of empathy for nature in children aged 5-12 using EEG/ERP methods. The study investigated neural responses to images depicting nature in distress versus no distress, revealing age-related shifts from affective arousal to cognitive appraisal. Findings suggest a correlation between increased frontal brain activity and higher dispositional empathy for nature.

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) may protect against depression among adolescents with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and promote mental health and well-being (MHW) among all pandemic-era adolescents. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing social determinants of mental health to mitigate the impact of ACEs and promote PCEs as part of a public health approach to MHW.

Given the increase in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses and stimulant medication use among female adults, this study describes the prevalence trends of perinatal ADHD stimulant medication use in British Columbia, Canada, along with characteristics and patterns of use.

Research suggests that transgender and gender-diverse (T&GD) adolescents experience lower levels of well-being than their cisgender peers. Schools can play an important role in addressing this issue by creating safe spaces for T&GD youth that support and celebrate gender diversity. The current population-based study investigated differences in mental well-being among T&GD and cisgender adolescents and explored potential promotive factors for T&GD adolescent mental well-being.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes important to comprehend service utilization patterns and evaluate disparities in mental health-related service access among children. This study uses administrative health records to investigate the association between early developmental vulnerability and healthcare utilization among children in Alberta, Canada from 2016 to 2022.

Canada lacks an approach to early childhood mental health prevention aimed at decreasing barriers to care among highest-needs families. In this Canadian randomized controlled trial, we aimed to evaluate whether participation in the Family Check-Up® (FCU®) would be associated with lower severity of child behavior problems (primary outcome) and caregiver psychological distress and daily parenting stress (secondary outcomes). Eligible caregivers of children aged 2–4 years with (i) high severity of

Despite growing attention to child and youth mental health, knowledge gaps exist related to how mental disorders vary for children and youth from diverse backgrounds. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how conduct, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mood/anxiety diagnoses varied by immigrant, refugee, and non-immigrant background in British Columbia, Canada.