Letter to the Editor: No help for suicidal teen
Erin Boudreau
Joanne Genovy’s heart-wrenching story about her daughter’s battle with mental illness is a loud cry for help; it’s a plea for increased, accessible, and better coordinated child and youth mental health services in Ontario – and now.
Growing waitlists, few adolescent psychiatrists and a lack of funding for a sector that continues to grow in need and demand, combined with stigma, prevents the many children and youth in need – 1 in 5 to be exact – from getting help.To give an idea about just how serious the situation is and how many young people – and their families – are suffering unnecessarily:
– A study by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre found that almost 50% of Canadian adolescents aged 15 to 24 who were depressed and suicidal are not accessing mental health services; – 15% of those who suffer from depression commit suicide; – According to UNICEF, Canada has the third worst records for suicides among adolescents 15 to 19; – In North America, suicide is the leading cause of death among 15 to 25 year olds, second only to fatal accidents; – Amongst our aboriginal population, the rate of self destruction of children is five to six times that among non-aboriginal children; – Depression, as a disease, is getting younger. The Ontario Health Study showed 10.2 per cent of boys aged 4 to 11 experienced anxiety or depression; girls, mirroring the results of women, had higher rates of depression, at 10.7 per cent at ages 4 to 11.
Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO), the organization representing over 85 child and youth mental health treatment centres province-wide, champions the right of every child and youth in Ontario to mental health and well-being. We continue to advocate for increased funding; to raise awareness and ultimately, reduce stigma so that Joanne Genovy’s daughter, Cassandra, and any one struggling with their mental health, gets the help they need and deserve – now.
Help should be accessible for any one struggling with their mental health.
London Free Press
Date Published: Wednesday, July 14, 2010
