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| Youth As all those who work with young people know, adolescence is a time of dramatic physical, emotional, intellectual and social change. Young people often feel tremendous pressure to succeed at school, at home and in social groups. |
| Research has shown that:
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Mental illness can have a devastating impact on youth, affecting many aspects of life, including family and peer relationships and school performance. Because mental illnesses often strike at such a critical point in young peoples’ development, it is essential that steps are taken to support young people as they come to terms with their illness, to ensure that their ongoing learning and growth are not disrupted, so they can achieve their full potential. High school is a key setting for providing support for young people who are struggling with mental health problems. High School staff have an important role to play in ensuring that these students maintain their education, because it is within the high school environment that they will develop not only skills for learning, but also skills for positive peer relationships and skills necessary for emotional well-being. That is the fundamental idea behind the Mental Health and High School project: to promote the sharing of ideas and strategies about supporting young people with mental illness, and to help students maintain their education and get on with their lives. |
References Canadian Youth Mental Health and Mental Illness Survey: Facts and Figures. (1993) Ottawa. Canadian Psychiatric Association. McGee R. et al., DMS-III Disorders in a Large Sample of Adolescents”, J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 29 (1990): 611-619. |
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As
many as one in five teenagers have experienced a major mental
disorder (McGee et al, 1990)
