National health survey coming to Yukon classrooms next week

Yukon classrooms will be participating next week in a national survey of students, looking at everything from mental health and bullying to physical activity, sleep, and social connection.

The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey happens every four years and is funded by the federal government. It’s part of a national data-gathering effort led by Queen’s University to identify trends in young people’s health across Canada, comparing data from urban and rural students, by age and gender. 

Yukon students in Grades 6 to 10 will be asked to complete a questionnaire in class. Participation is voluntary, and all results are anonymous.

Ian Parker, the manager of the Yukon government’s health promotion unit, says the survey offers an important window into students’ lives. The data is used by educators, community leaders, and government departments to decide where to focus resources and support.

“In recent years, mental health is becoming more and more of a public health priority,” Parker said. “Because unfortunately, there’s lots of indicators that poor mental health among young people is on the rise.”

In the Yukon, that concern was especially pronounced in 2018, when survey data showed young women in particular reporting lower scores on indicators of mental wellness. 

“It didn’t make sense to talk about much else other than the health of young women,” Parker said of the 2018 survey results. He described the data around depression among young women “especially concerning in rural communities.”

By 2022, many indicators had begun to shift. Female students in the Yukon reported higher rates of physical activity than many other places in Canada, as well as rising rates of confidence and positive peer relationships. Also, life satisfaction scores increased among Grade 9 and 10 girls, while rates of sadness and hopelessness decreased.

Parker says those gains matter — but the bigger picture still requires attention.

“The truth is, a lot of those concerns are still there,” he said.

The 2022 results found that rates of life satisfaction had more than doubled among rural girls, but was still only about 26 per cent, compared to 34 per cent among urban girls. Also, 62 per cent of girls in rural communities reported feeling so sad or hopeless that they stopped usual activities — an improvement from 2018, but still high.

Boys in the Yukon generally reported higher levels of life satisfaction, physical health, and community trust than girls, though they face specific challenges regarding risk-taking behaviours, sedentary habits, and food insecurity in rural areas.

The survey also took a dive into the digital landscape, exploring how online behaviour affected students social lives, mental health, and safety. The 2022 survey found that while technology can be a space for support and information, it also introduces significant risks, particularly regarding screen time, problematic usage, and interpersonal violence.

‘A model for the rest of the country’

Parker says part of what has contributed to improvements in some indicators is the shift toward putting more focus on solutions.

“People are tired of hearing what’s wrong with [youth],” Parker said. 

That’s why the Yukon pushed the national research team to incorporate strengths, protective factors and community assets into both the survey analysis and the reporting.

“The beautiful thing is that the strengths point to ideas or opportunities that we could potentially use to address some of the deficits,” said Parker.

He points to the Yukon’s Youth Roots grant program, which started in 2021, as an example of how findings have been applied in the Yukon. The program offers grants of up to $5,000 to non-profit organizations to support youth, and has funded things such as ninja training in Watson Lake, elders-and-youth carving in Dawson City, and trail development projects in Carmacks. 

“We’re talking less about the things that youth should not be doing and focusing instead on the things we know will have a positive impact on their overall health,” Parker says.

National HBSC research lead Dr. Will Pickett says Yukon’s approach has had lasting influence across the country. 

“They came up with this idea of bright spots,” Pickett said, describing the shift toward highlighting strengths alongside challenges. “We’re very proud of the Yukon survey. It’s become sort of a model for the rest of the country.”

Pickett says national survey results reveal an uptick in online risk-taking behaviour, cyberbullying, and especially mental-health challenges faced by gender-diverse youth.

Ultimately, Pickett says, the strongest protective factor for youth, no matter where they live, appears to be relationships. 

“If young people have strong connections at home, in their schools or in their friend groups, it’s associated with all kinds of positive health indicators.”

Surveys will be conducted in Yukon classrooms starting on Monday and through next week.