Nearly Half of Ontario's Youth Have Missed School Because of Anxiety

Newly released survey results from Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) indicate that nearly half of 18- to 34-year-olds in the province have missed school due to issues related to anxiety.

Only about 40 percent of those surveyed about anxiety issues in their youth said they’d sought help. Half of those who’d tried to get help found it challenging—most commonly because of services not offering what they needed (44 percent), that they didn’t know where to go (39 percent), and long wait times (34 percent).

For the survey, 18- to 24-year-olds were asked about their current experiences; 25- to 34-year-olds were asked about their youth experiences.

An even higher percentage of youth said that they were concerned about their school performance due to anxiety: 61 percent.

“There is a child and youth mental health crisis that Ontario families are facing and that continues to be ignored by the government of Ontario,” Kim Moran, CEO of CMHO, said in response to the findings. “Kids can’t keep waiting for help.”

Moran said that in some areas of the province kids are waiting 18 months, or worse, not getting any help at all.

CMHO’s survey also showed that a number of parents are missing work due to their kids’ mental health problems: about one in four.