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 […]
Chasing the rainbow: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth and pride semiotics
Abstract While the pride rainbow has been part of political and social intervention for decades, few have researched how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer young people perceive and use the symbol. How do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth who experience greater feelings of isolation and discrimination than heterosexual youth recognise and deploy […]
Being Safe, Being Me: Results of the Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey
A national study by SARAVYC showed that while Canada’s transgender youth face significant physical and mental health issues, strong family, school and community connections help many of them navigate these challenges. The study, funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research and completed in collaboration with universities and health researchers across Canada, was the first […]
Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey Infographics
Two infographics from the 2014 Canadian Trans Youth Health Survey. One infographic outlines the key findings from the survey while the other outlines the recommendations.
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 […]
Assessing exploitation experiences of adolescent girls and boys seen at a Child Advocacy Center
Abstract The primary aim of this study was to describe the abuse experiences of sexually exploited runaway adolescents seen at a Child Advocacy Center (N = 62). We also sought to identify risk behaviors, attributes of resiliency, laboratory results for sexually transmitted infection (STI) screens, and genital injuries from colposcopic exams. We used retrospective mixed-methods with in-depth […]
Living for the moment: Men consider risk practices following the death of a friend
Abstract The primary cause of death for men under the age of 30 is unintentional injury and, despite health‐promotion efforts and programme interventions, male injury and death rates have not decreased in recent years. Drawing on 22 interviews from a study of men, risk and grief, we describe how a risk‐related tragedy shaped the participants’ […]
How many is too many for BC youth? Alcohol use and associated harms
Although the legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19 years, many youth begin to experiment with alcohol before this age. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption by youth under the age of 19 is associated with an increased likelihood of involvement in health risks, such as a vehicle crash or a sexual or physical […]
Urban and rural student substance use: Technical report
Differences in economic, cultural, social and educational factors between urban and rural areas in Canada might influence behavioural and mental health outcomes. However, most research assessing differences in urban and rural patterns of substance use has been conducted in the United States. Within Canada, information is limited on whether students who attend urban and rural […]
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 […]