New research to inform better youth mental health and wellness services across Canada
The Government of Canada this week announced a new initiative to address unprecedented challenges for youth mental health and wellness across the country.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Indigenous Services Canada, and its partners, the Graham Boeckh Foundation (GBF) and Bell-GBF Partnership, are investing more than $30 million over four years to strengthen research within the Integrated Youth Services (IYS) network.
This funding will advance research, data and knowledge sharing within and across 12 provincial and territorial IYS networks and a pan-Canadian Indigenous network. IYS hubs aim to provide youth aged 12 to 25 and their families with a single, accessible place to find help with mental health, substance use, physical health, housing, peer support and other essential services.
The networks will form part of a pan-Canadian system where data, research and real-world experiences are used to improve care, policies and outcomes for youth.
Manitoba’s IYS research is being led by Dr. Roberta Woodgate, distinguished professor at the College of Nursing in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Canada Research Chair in child, youth and family engagement in health research and health care.
Manitoba has six IYS hubs – known in Manitoba as Huddle – that collect data for Greenspace, a technology-based platform designed to improve how mental health and substance use services are accessed, measured and delivered to youth.
“Youth mental health challenges have been rising for decades, yet timely care remains difficult to access. IYS hubs bring fragmented supports together within community-based networks. Building on this model, this project will strengthen the Greenspace data platform across all Huddle sites, to improve access to and delivery of youth mental health and substance use care,” Woodgate said.
“Through authentic engagement and a learning health systems approach, this project will enhance usability, increase uptake and build capacity for timely, accurate, and diverse data sharing ultimately supporting better outcomes for youth across Manitoba and beyond.”
Woodgate said the project will undertake multiple activities that will involve Indigenous and non-Indigenous user-stakeholders, youth, community end-users and other key stakeholders within the Huddle and Pan-Canadian IYS networks. Overall, this work will result in the usability and uptake of a state-of-the art data platform to ensure timely, accurate, comprehensive and diverse information on youth mental health and substance use.