Over 90 per cent of teens who take their own lives have a diagnosable mental illness, yet teens are the least likely to seek treatment. In an effort to get young people talking about depression, Dr. Rob Milin of The Royal’s Research Institute, the University of Ottawa Institute for Mental Health Research, rolled out the first-ever school curriculum study, on mental health in Canada in September 2011.
Called Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide: Understanding Mental Health and Mental Illness, the guide contains tools to help students understand mental health and resources for teachers to use with students.
The curriculum guide is currently being used in 15 Ottawa area schools, with 11 more high schools – including private schools and four schools in Renfrew County – coming on board in the spring 2012 semester.
“The response to the curriculum guide and study has been spectacular,” says Dr. Milin. “I and my colleagues are ecstatic to see the degree of willingness and participation from the schools — and we are still recruiting.”
According to Dr. Milin, most teachers are enthusiastic about the study and have been positive about implementing the curriculum and allowing the researchers into the classrooms. And some teachers have even gone above and beyond what is outlined in the curriculum. For example, one teacher had the students create anti-stigma and mental health awareness videos for a class activity. The researchers have also received some great questions from teens, indicating an interest and curiosity about youth mental health.
“Globally, this is the leading and largest study of its kind,” says Dr. Milin.
This study has been funded by donors to The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health including D.I.F.D., Telus, and the Sens Foundation.