Racism is a public health issue
Every day is a day to act towards ending racism, and today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD). We condemn racism in all its forms, and especially the anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and anti-Asian racism and hate crimes that have surfaced throughout the pandemic at the hands of white supremacy. Hateful actions need to stop and white supremacy must be dismantled.
Today We Honour Orange Shirt Day
Today is Orange Shirt Day, a day to “honour the children who survived the Indian residential schools and remember those who didn’t.” It’s important that we bring awareness to Orange Shirt Day today and that we work every day to acknowledge and learn about health equity for Indigenous and Two-Spirit youth.
Assessing the impacts and outcomes of youth driven mental health promotion: A mixed-methods assessment of the Social Networking Action for Resilience study
Abstract Mental health challenges are the leading health issue facing youth globally. To better respond to this health challenge, experts advocate for a population health approach inclusive of mental health promotion; yet this area remains underdeveloped. Further, while there is growing emphasis on youth-engaged research and intervention design, evidence of the outcomes and impacts are […]
Homeless & Street-Involved Indigenous LGBTQ2S Youth in British Columbia: Intersectionality, Challenges, Resilience & Cues for Action
Street-involved youth and youth experiencing homelessness in Canada are disproportionately likely to be Indigenous: while the Canadian census estimates about 6% of youth in Canada are Indigenous, previous multi-city surveys of street-involved youth and youth experiencing homelessness in Western Canada have found more than half identify as Aboriginal, First Nations, Inuit or Métis. The authors’ […]
Raven’s Children IV: Aboriginal youth health in BC
Since 1998 McCreary has worked in partnership with Aboriginal researchers and community Elders, youth, and adults to produce a specific report about the health of Aboriginal youth who complete the BC AHS. This is the fourth Raven’s Children report and is an in-depth look at the health of youth who identified as Aboriginal on the […]
Divided and disconnected – an examination of young people’s experiences with emotional distress within the context of their everyday lives
Abstract This paper is based on a qualitative study conducted in a rural community in British Columbia, Canada. Ethnographic methods were used to: (1) to bring youth voice to the literature on emotional distress; and (2) to capture the ways in which context shapes young peoples’ experiences of emotional distress within their everyday lives. Our […]
Our communities, our youth: The health of homeless and street-involved youth in BC
Homeless and street-involved youth are among the most vulnerable populations in Canada and experience significant health inequities. The 2014 Homeless and Street-Involved Youth Survey (HSIYS) captured information from youth living in 13 diverse communities across British Columbia between October 2014 and January 2015. A total of 689 youth (aged 12–19 years) participated, from which we […]
We all have a role: Building social capital among youth in care
Research has shown the value of social capital in relation to an individual’s health, happiness, and improved life expectancy, as well as the benefits to a community of having social networks that can come together to support the community and make positive change happen. Using data from the 2013 BC Adolescent Health Survey which was […]
Sexual Health of Youth in BC
Adolescence is an important time in sexual development. It includes physical changes of puberty as well as changes in emotions and cognitive abilities. During this time, most youth develop romantic and sexual attractions, begin to understand their sexuality, and some enter their first romantic relationships. Some young people will also have sexual relationships. Legally the […]
Enacted stigma and HIV risk behaviours among sexual minority indigenous youth in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States
Abstract Enacted stigma has been linked to increased HIV risk behaviours among sexual minority youth, but despite higher rates of HIV and other STIs, there is very little research with Indigenous youth. In this study, secondary analyses of three population-based, school surveys were conducted to explore the associations between HIV risk and enacted stigma among […]