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Just over half of female students in Ontario show signs of moderate to severe psychological distress, with many reporting severe depression and anxiety, and others revealing that they are talking about rarely to their parents of their problems
some of the results of the publication of the Survey of Consumption and Health of Students of Ontario (OSDUHS), an annual survey administered over the last 40 years by CAMH, the Center for Addiction and Mental Health
. More than 11,400 students in Grades 7-12 ask them various questions about their mental health and their use of psychoactive substances.
The survey reveals that "psychological distress" – symptoms of anxiety or depression – has been steadily increasing among all Ontario students since the beginning of the investigation, such distress was observed in 2013.
Girls, in particular, seem to have poor results in distress and other mental health measures, said Hayley Hamilton, the female students are more than twice as likely as men to report high stress, poor mental health, consult a psychologist, suicidal thoughts, and have prescribed medication for anxiety or depression, "Hamilton said in a statement.
About 17% of respondents reported experiencing a significant level of psychological distress in the last year. That's about 159,400 students in Ontario. Another 39% reported moderate to severe levels of distress.
About one-third of high school students – about 252,100 students – reported experiencing a traumatic or negative event in their lifetime, though not specifically
. One in seven had had serious thoughts about suicide in the last year, and four percent said they had attempted suicide. The percentage of students who reported having suicidal thoughts has remained stable in recent years, with no change in the percentage of suicide attempts
Seeking mental health care
] a health care professional for a mental health problem in the past year – a figure that has remained stable compared to previous surveys. Five percent of these students were prescribed medication for anxiety, depression, or both.
Yet almost one-third said they wanted to talk to someone about their mental health, but they did not know where to turn to. Nearly four in ten said that they rarely or never spoke to their parents about their problems or feelings, with boys being much less likely to ask their parents for help.
The survey found that the use of technology and social media has increased in recent years, and that many mental health issues have been reported.
Eighty-six percent of students visited social media on a daily basis. One hundred students say they do not use social media at all.
One in five said they spend five hours or more each day on social media – a significantly higher percentage in 2017 than in 2015 (16%) and in 2013 (11%), the first year of follow-up. Girls were almost twice as likely to spend more hours per day on social media than boys.
Nearly one-third of high school students spend five hours or more per day on all devices, including game consoles, laptops, and computers. smartphones. About 23% reported playing video games every day or almost every day, with a significantly higher proportion of boys than girls.
This year's survey included questions about the problems of using technology. students reported that they had symptoms suggesting that they had a serious problem. Many expressed concern about technology, loss of control, withdrawal symptoms, and problems with family and friends.
Robert Mann, co-leader of the survey, found these latest findings disturbing
The survey can not tell us if the use of technology causes mental health problems or vice versa, there is evidence from other studies that there might be a connection, "he said in a statement
Cell phones and other technologies while driving Of the students who drive, one-third said they were texting and driving – a figure that has not changed since 2015, despite several public awareness campaigns.
Positive Trends
The positive results of the survey were a significant decrease in violent behavior, physical fights and the use of weapons at school.
In addition, 21% students reported experiencing bullying at school, but c the percentage dropped from 33% in 2003, the reported cyberbullying rate remains stable at 21%
. Finally, the majority of students (81%) said that they liked school to some extent. Nearly half (47%) say they like school a lot or a lot, while 34% of them prefer school to a certain extent.
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