Mental health disorders on the rise among Quebec high school students: ISQ

New data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) shows that there a significant increase in mental health disorders among high school students.

According to survey results released on Wednesday, health professionals have compared the trends between 2010-2011 and 2022-2023.

The gap between girls and boys who take medication is significant. Eight per cent of female students take medications for anxiety and depression symptoms, compared to 3.8 per cent among male students.

As for medication to treat ADD/ADHD symptoms, 19 per cent of boys have used it compared to 12 per cent of girls.

#WATCH: New data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) shows that there is a significant increase in mental health disorders among high school students.

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— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) December 3, 2024

Worrying progression

Anxiety disorders, which affected nine per cent of adolescents in 2010-2011, reached 20 per cent in 2022-2023. The proportion of younger people with depression increased from 4.9 per cent in 2020-2011 to 7 per cent in 2022-2023. As for ADD/ADHD, the proportion has almost doubled, increasing from 13 per cent in 2010-2011 to 25 per cent in 2022-2023.

“It’s definitely something that we’re seeing more regularly,” says Jonathan Keane, a visual arts teacher at Beaconsfield High School. “I would say, anxiety and depression are the ones I would say maybe we’re hearing about now more than in the past.”

Although some want to attribute these trends to the pandemic, this third study shows that the increases were much greater between 2010-2011 and 2016-2017 than between 2016-2017 and 2022-2023.

Eco-anxiety and self-esteem

For the first time, the survey measured high school students’ eco-anxiety – anxiety specifically caused by various environmental threats – and found that 34 per cent of them did not experience it at all, 41 per cent sometimes, 17 per cent often and eight per cent experienced it always or almost always.

“When we measure this new concept, eco-anxiety, we see that girls are more affected than boys,” said Daniela Gonzalez-Sicilia, research professional for ISQ.

According to the data, girls were more affected than boys, with feelings of eco-anxiety being experienced often or almost always at 37 per cent compared to 14 per cent with boys.

“But when we look at both genders, we see that one out of four students have felt eco-anxiety frequently or almost always,” she added.

Self-esteem issues were also declining among boys. For both male and females, the proportion of students with high self-esteem has fallen from 20 per cent in 2010-2011 to 12 per cent in 2022-2023.

Among girls, 15 per cent had high self-esteem in 2010-2011 compared to seven per cent in 2022-2023.

Boys had higher self-esteem, but their proportion has still fallen from 25 per cent in 2010-2011 to 16 per cent in 2022-2023.

Lots of screen time

The data released Wednesday also shows that one in four high school students typically spend four hours or more per day in front of a screen for communication and recreation, and nearly half of them (48 per cent) typically sleep less than the recommended amount of time during the school week.

“For sure sleep is definitely an issue and screen time, and as you know Mr. Legault and Mr. Drainville have banned cell phones from classrooms, but during their breaks, any time they can they’re on their phones and the screen time is an issue,” said Steven Le Sueur, president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers (QPAT).

In both cases, girls are more likely to spend more time in front of screens and not get enough sleep.

#WATCH: “The proportion of teenagers that sleep less has increased,” says Daniela Gonzalez-Sicilia, research professional for the ISQ, when discussing new data from a survey on mental health disorders among high school students.

READ: pic.twitter.com/CvereNu4Z4

— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) December 3, 2024

Young people are also having less sexual relations, with the proportion of those having had at least one consensual sexual relationship falling from 37 per cent in 2010-2011 to 33 per cent in 2016-2017, and 30 per cent in 2022-2023. The proportion of those having used contraception, however, remains stable.

Finally, high school students are less likely to engage in reckless or rebellious behavior nowadays.

About a quarter (26 per cent) of secondary school students in 2022-2023 engaged in at least one reckless or rebellious behavior during the year before the survey (going out all night without permission, being questioned by the police, running away from home). This proportion is significantly lower than the 36 per cent in 2010-2011.

There was also a decline with delinquent behavior (property crimes, acts of violence against people, membership in a gang that broke the law): 37 per cent of students engaged in one activity within the 12 months preceding the survey, compared to 41 per cent in 2010-2011.

The good news, teachers and staff are learning to manage to manage and give the necessary support to students.

“We’ll sort of be informed about it that this student may have an anxiety issue, they may need to leave to speak with the guidance counsellor,” said Keane when discussing how he helps his students with any problems that may arise.

“We’ll adjust then how we’re gonna approach dealing with them if they need to be dealt with,” he said.