Teen health in Montreal has been on the decline for more than a decade, which is why Montreal Public Health invited high school students from across the city to an event to discuss their experiences, concerns and ideas for improving teen health and wellness. The Grand EQSJS Gathering – A Look at the Health and Well-Being of Montreal Youth, brought teens onto the stage to present their ideas to adults working in health and education. Dr. Judith Archambault with Montreal Public Health says they collected data on teen health, which they’re using as a launch pad for these discussions. “The data is showing that the health of young people, for the most part, is not going better, it’s going worse,” she said. According to the data, from 2010 to 2023, overall teen health declined by 12 per cent, and over a seven-year period, their mental health declined by nearly 10 percent. While Public Health found the pandemic made things worse, Archambault says it’s not the only factor contributing to the decline. “Polarization, violence, climate change, there’s a lot of things going on in the society that makes young people less confident about the future.” The head of the Lester B. Pearson School Board, Cindy Finn, believes today’s teens face more uncertainty than previous generations. “These are not just the same issues about mental health, friendship, violence, habits and lifestyle choices,” she said. “It’s also within that backdrop of complex world politics, limited resources, students feeling pressured to perform.” Seventeen-year-old Tymoor Elbegarmy says teens need judgment-free spaces to talk about mental health, and they need to be taught how to ask for help. “A lot of teens I find just need a source of support and especially specialized support and often that is not received,” he said. Public Health also found that girls’ health is declining more than that of boys. Fifteen-year-old Kayla Wani says she sees social media as one area that could be contributing to the problem, adding influencers and glamourized lifestyles can mess with a young person’s confidence. “Just because you see something online, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” she warns. Lily Brender-Hache believes friendships are important for overall well-being, but the 15-year-old says forging new relationships in high school can be challenging. “I think it’s definitely important to maybe go outside of your comfort zone and talk to new people and talk to people who seem a little quieter and shy.”
