Mental Health
- Mental illness affects 1.2 million children and youth in Canada48.
- Approximately 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario has a mental health challenge. About 70% of mental health challenges have their onset in childhood or youth49.
- Hospitalizations for mental disorders experienced by children and youth in Canada has increased 60% over the past 10 years (2008/09 to 2018/19); with emergency department visits increasing by 61% for the same time period50.
Climate Inequities and Mental Health
- The most marginalized people are especially vulnerable to climate-related mental health impacts51.
- Children are at increased vulnerability to anxiety, depression, behavioral disruption, and post-traumatic stress disorder following natural disasters such as fires, floods, other climate-related events52.
- As the frequency, intensity and duration of climate change events and effects increases, so to are climate-related mental health outcomes53.
- Psychological impacts from disasters exceed physical injury by as much as 40 to one54.
References available here
