Canada, U.S. teen suicide rates similar
Canadian Press, Dec. 13, 2006
While young Canadian women tend to experience depression and thoughts of suicide more than men, the men are more likely to act on their suicidal thoughts, says a new study on depression and suicide among teens.
The study, compiled by psychiatrists at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, found links between "suicidality" and age, income levels and where a teen lives in Canada.
The purpose of the study was to explore whether depression and suicide rates among Canadian teens were any different than those in the U.S., given Canada's universal health-care system, said Amy Cheung, the study's author.
"Adolescents are very likely to experience depression during their teenage years, and if you go to a classroom of 30 kids, you'll find two or three may have experienced depression previously or are currently experiencing depressive symptoms," Cheung said.
"A majority of these kids are not treated for depression, and depression itself can have a significant impact on their functioning in school and can be a big cause of disability and burden in the family."
Male teens in B.C. had the highest attempted suicide rate, while those in Quebec reported the highest rate of depression.
Nearly a quarter of the female teens from B.C. who took part in the study reported having had suicidal thoughts.
The study also found that suicidality rates in Canada differ little from those in the U.S., despite the fact that universal health coverage north of the border gives Canadians better access to health care.
"Since suicidality is frequently a consequence of untreated depression, it is noteworthy that rates of suicidality in Canada are comparable to the U.S. in spite of the universal health insurance coverage that gives Canadians access to needed health care," the study says.
"This raises questions about the barriers to access to mental health services and the effectiveness of the Canadian health-care system in addressing the mental health needs of our adolescents."
Experts say the study indicates a need for school programs to better educate teachers about depression and suicide, which is the second leading cause of death among teens in Canada.
Dr. Catherine Renaud suggested teachers and guidance counsellors should be educated so they can help physicians in detecting signs of depression.
"The problem is that youth don't talk about their depressive moods to their physicians," Renaud said. "A drop in grades, difficulties with other peers and participating in fewer social activities are signs of depression."
The study showed the highest rate in depression is seen in Quebec, followed closely by the Prairies and B.C. more than 50 per cent of adolescents who commit suicide have experienced a form of depression.
Why boys are in trouble
Boys have been painted as the bad guys in the push to encourage girls to succeed, leaving many young men feeling confused and alienated, wondering what they did wrong
The Associated Press
January 5, 1999
According to psychologist and author William Pollack, 'sports are the one arena in which many of society's traditional strictures about masculinity are often loosened, allowing boys to experience parts of themselves they rarely experience elsewhere.'
When Harvard Medical School psychologist William Pollack administered a test to a group of 150 teenaged boys a few years ago, the results were shocking.
The Boy Crisis Book
The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It
Authors- Waren Farrell PhD and John Gray PhD
What is the boy crisis?
It's a crisis of education. Worldwide, boys are 50 percent less likely than girls to meet basic proficiency in reading, math, and science.
It's a crisis of mental health. ADHD is on the rise. And as boys become young men, their suicide rates go from equal to girls to six times that of young women.
It's a crisis of fathering. Boys are growing up with less-involved fathers and are more likely to drop out of school, drink, do drugs, become delinquent, and end up in prison.
It's a crisis of purpose. Boys' old sense of purpose-being a warrior, a leader, or a sole breadwinner-are fading. Many bright boys are experiencing a "purpose void," feeling alienated, withdrawn, and addicted to immediate gratification.
So, what is The Boy Crisis? A comprehensive blueprint for what parents, teachers, and policymakers can do to help our sons become happier, healthier men, and fathers and leaders worthy of our respect. Read More ..
Health Canada Publication
The Invisible Boy: Revisioning the Victimization of Male Children and Teens
"... the existence of a double standard in the care and treatment of male victims, and the invisibility and normalization of violence and abuse toward boys and young men in our society.
Despite the fact that over 300 books and articles on male victims have been published in the last 25 to 30 years, boys and teen males remain on the periphery of the discourse on child abuse.
Few workshops about males can be found at most child abuse conferences and there are no specialized training programs for clinicians. Male-centred assessment is all but non-existent and treatment programs are rare. If we are talking about adult males, the problem is even greater. A sad example of this was witnessed recently in Toronto. After a broadcast of The Boys of St. Vincent, a film about the abuse of boys in a church-run orphanage, the Kids' Help Phone received over 1,000 calls from distraught adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It is tragic in a way no words can capture that these men had no place to turn to other than a children's crisis line."
American Psychological Association
Dating Violence Statistics in the United States
Nearly one in 10 girls and one in 20 boys say they have been raped or experienced some other form of abusive violence on a date, according to a study released Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.
The mean T-shirt: From the Stupid Factory
Todd Goldman says his popular boy-bashing T-shirts are simply funny.
So why are retailers having second thoughts? Read More ..
Why boys are in trouble
Boys have been painted as the bad guys in the push to encourage girls to succeed, leaving many young men feeling confused and alienated, wondering what they did wrong
The Associated Press
According to psychologist and author William Pollack, 'sports are the one arena in which many of society's traditional strictures about masculinity are often loosened, allowing boys to experience parts of themselves they rarely experience elsewhere.'
When Harvard Medical School psychologist William Pollack administered a test to a group of 150 teenaged boys a few years ago, the results were shocking.