GENERAL FINDINGS
- A total of 94 responses were received. About half were filled out by parents and half by youth and young adults.
- Represents Greater Vancouver demographic. Majority of the respondents were middle class Cantonese speaking families.
- Among the youth and young adult respondents, more than half were born and raised in non-English speaking countries and about 1/5 were CBC
- Male:female respondent ratio is about 50:50
- Parents seem to underestimate or were unaware of youths’ mental health conditions. Parents tend to have a more optimistic assessment compared to youths.
- Academic stress and concern for future study/career paths are the top 2 stressors among this age group.
- Friends are identified as the most important and frequent resource for youth and young adults to seek help.
- Mental health and religion: There was no statistically significant relationship between religion and mental health.
- Loneliness: Mental health had a significant relationship to feeling lonely/isolated.
Total % Youth vs Parents
Emotional and Mental Health of Youth / Young Adult and Youth represented by parents
| Emotional & Mental Health Comparison |
| Categories |
Youth |
Parents |
| Top 3 Criteria of Good Mental Health |
- Sleep Well
- Good relationship with people
- Be kind to oneself
|
- Good relationship with parents
- Good relationship with people
- Have good friends
|
| Top 3 Causes of Stress |
- Academic
- Study and Work in Future
- People's comment on me
|
- Academic
- Relationship with people
- Have good friends
|
| How Often Felt Lonely (Top Answer) |
Sometimes |
Seldom |
| How Often Felt Nervous (Top Answer) |
Sometimes |
Seldom |
| Considered getting professional help (Top Answer) |
No |
No |
| Considered suicide (Top Answer) |
No |
No |
Comparison of Depression Categories Between Youth And Parents
| Depression |
Youth |
Parents |
| Minimal |
9 |
23 |
| Mild |
14 |
18 |
| Moderate |
9 |
2 |
| Moderately Severe |
11 |
1 |
| Severe |
6 |
0 |
Grief
Top 3 reasons for grieving:
Fail a test (50%)
Parents argue (25%)
War or climate change (23%)
Did you feel sad or grief in the past 6 months?
Suicidal Thought
- 28% responded “yes” or “I don’t know”
- Among those who had suicidal thought, no one reported that parents were aware of it
- Reason for having suicidal thought: Study pressure (70%); Felt that life is meaningless (70%)
- What helped you get out of the suicidal thought: support from friends and family ranked #1
What Are Useful To Improve Young People’s Mental/Emotional Well-Being?
| Topics |
Youth |
Young Adult |
Parents |
| Handling emotions |
25% |
17% |
13% |
| Getting to know oneself |
24% |
20% |
14% |
| Parent-children relationship |
13% |
15% |
20% |
| Relaxation practices |
13% |
15% |
9% |
| Facing adversity |
13% |
20% |
25% |
| Dealing with conflict |
10% |
11% |
18% |
