The McCreary Centre Society released the South Vancouver Island Results for the 2023 B.C. Adolescent Health Survey, which focuses on the heath and well-being on students in grades 7-12.
Results show the majority of youth on the south Island rated their overall health and mental health positively, but the results have lowered compared to the last decade.
This year, 58 per cent of youth rated their mental health as good or excellent, compared to 71 per cent in 2018 and 80 per cent in 2013.
Local survey results also showed that just over a quarter of youth reported they had an anxiety disorder, higher than both the provincial rate and also higher than
the local rate 5 years earlier, which are both 22 per cent. One in five south Vancouver Island youth said they did not participate in extracurricular activities because they were too anxious.
Annie Smith, McCreary executive director, noted this is their first survey since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it really highlights the impact that has had on some young people.
"Across the province, we have seen a decline in youth reporting positive mental health and an increase in those reporting they are struggling in this are," she said. "It was concerning to see in this region that a quarter of students had missed school in the past month because of their mental health."
Despite the findings, local results showed that youth were more likely to have an adult they could turn to when they had a serious problem, with 75 per cent of youth having an adult inside their family they could turn to, versus 71 per cent in 2018, and 37 per cent had one outside their family versus 31 per cent in 2018.
“Having supportive adults in their life can be a huge protective factor for youth, so it was encouraging to see that the majority of youth had at least one adult who they can go to in a crisis, and we also saw the vast majority had someone who would help them with things like getting to appointments, applying for college, or getting a job," said Smith.
The 2023 B.C. AHS was completed by around 38,500 youth aged 12–19 in 59 of B.C.’s 60 school districts. The survey was developed in consultation with young people, parents, and other experts in youth health. McCreary says the data is considered representative of 98 per cent of students in mainstream public schools across B.C.
