Social inequalities in youth mental health in Canada, 2007-2022: a population-based repeated cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Rising concern surrounds youth mental health in Canada, with growing disparities between females and males. However, less is known about recent trends by other sociodemographic factors, including sexual orientation, ethnocultural background, and socioeconomic status.

METHODS

This study analyzed data from 96 683 youths aged 15-24 who participated in the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) between 2007 and 2022. Trends in absolute and relative inequalities in poor/fair self-rated mental health (SRMH) by sex, sexual orientation, racialized and Indigenous identity, and socioeconomic conditions were assessed.

RESULTS

The percent of youths reporting poor/fair SRMH quadrupled from 4.3% in 2007-08 to 20.1% in 2021-22. During the same period, absolute inequalities in SRMH increased by 9.9% points (95% CI: 6.6, 12.9) for females compared to males, 11.4% points (95% CI: 4.6, 18.2) for Indigenous versus non-racialized youth, and 15.4% points (95% CI: 5.7, 25.1) for youth (aged 18-24) identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) compared to heterosexual.

CONCLUSION

The sustained deterioration in youth SRMH over the past decade and a half has been accompanied by widening inequalities across several dimensions important for health equity in Canada. Action is needed to identify and implement effective programs and policies to support youth mental health and address disparities.