New Brunswick youth advocate speaks on new challenge paper “From Couch To Crisis”

Child, Youth and Seniors’ Advocate Kelly Lamrock hosted and spoke at a Youth Mental Health Symposium yesterday in downtown Fredericton, addressing youth and other professionals in the field on issues written in his new challenge paper From Couch To Crisis.

The paper is based of a study called the State of the child data collection, which has revealed that the number of youth presenting to emergency level services with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation has been rising in the province the last eight years.

It also details that the prevalence of mental health disorders among youth aged 9-19 is 23.4%, much higher than the national average of 19.8%.

Lamrock says there are ongoing challenges with barriers to entry for care, creating more community resources and with how adults examine their world and its impacts on youth.

Have a listen to hear more on the province state of youth mental health.