About

The purpose of the resource is to educate young men (ages 10-24) on the issue of mental health and provide them with a database to help navigate issues and illnesses that they may be suffering from. For now, the website is Toronto-focused, but the goal is to provide more encompassing assistance in the future.

Landscape of Youth Mental Health

The current state of youth mental health in Canada and globally is a cause for concern. Between 15-25% of Canadians experience at least one mental health problem or illness before the turn 19, with only one in six being adequately diagnosed (Butler & Pang, 2014). Suicide is among the leading causes of death in 15-24 year old Canadians, with 4,000 people dying prematurely each year by suicide (CMHA). Many young people are unaware of the existence of youth services, and even when they are, they are sometimes unsure of how to access them or fear the repercussions of using them (Tonin, 2007). Poor mental health has a strong relation to other health and development concerns, such as academic achievement, substance use and abuse, and sexual health (Patel et al, 2007).

Why young males:

There are several reasons why this website is dedicated to young men’s and boys mental health, as opposed to youth mental health in general. Reports and studies on youth mental health in Canada show that there is a distinct gendered difference in regards to mental health; certain issues affect males more greatly than females, and vice versa (Depauw et al, 2008).  Young men are also less likely than their female counter-parts to utilize mental health services that are available to them (Depauw et al, 2008; Cheung & Dewa, 2007). Whether this is because of a lower amount of cases or some sort of hesitancy, it is unknown; though research shows that young men can face specific barriers, such as mental health literacy (Rickwood et al, 2005), to seeking assistance with mental health issues.

There also seems to be a great deal of stigma surrounding boys mental health. Stigma can be defined as,”a mark of shame, disgrace or disapproval which results in an individual being shunned or rejected by others. Stigma associated with all forms of mental illness is strong, but generally increases the more an individual’s behaviour differs from that of the ‘norm’” (Harland, 2008). Youth perceive that it is more difficult for guys to ask for help with a problem, due to the pressures from stigma and dominant notions of masculinity (Kids Help Phone). One of the best ways that stigma can be reduced is through educating school-aged children (Corrigan et al, 2011), something that this resource hopes to achieve.

Why YMHI is useful:

YMHI is an online database that provides legitimate, reviewed and useful resources that relate to young men’s mental health. With a current lack of resources that directly support young men and their mental health, YMHI seeks to fill the gap. It hopes to promote greater knowledge and awareness of mental health issues that everyone faces, as well as dealing with issues that are more common in young men.

Each resource section is intended to fulfill a specific goal: educate, help, or connect. This means that the individual who is suffering and seeking help and the individual who is looking to help others can both utilize this resource.

This resource was created by a first-year Teacher candidate at York University.