Some of Us Youth Mental Health Program

"Some of us... need to talk" posters

We all have challenges and need help – Some of Us more than others. If you had a broken leg, would you hide in shame and not ask for help because of what people might think of you? Would you avoid treatment and not get a cast because you thought you could take care of it on your own? Mental health is just as important as your physical health.

In fact, one in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem at some time in their life – and one in eight will be hospitalized. Furthermore, as many as 10 per cent of older adolescents have attempted suicide. It is the second-most common cause of death among teens, after vehicle accidents.

As a teenager, you go through a lot of physical and mental changes. But it’s important to know that you’re not alone and there are people and resources to go to for help. Like any other illness, early identification and treatment is essential.

Thanks to a partnership of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and the RBC Foundation, it’s now easier for Nova Scotia teens to get the help they need.

The Some of Us youth mental health tool kit has been expanded province-wide, providing a safe arena to discuss mental health issues, which can be hard to find for teens looking to avoid stigma from others. The tool kit – first launched in Halifax in 2005 – initially provided resources to 17 high schools and seven private schools in the HRM. That’s 16,000 high school students plus 16,000 junior high students.

A survey of students who used the program at Cole Harbour High School revealed that 77 per cent of students learned something about mental health – and 91 per cent of students thought the program should continue.

The tool kits include up-to-date information on mental health, which helps teens to increase their own understanding of mental health issues, symptoms, treatment, and how to start their recovery.  Increased awareness is the first step to ending myths and the stigma that accompanies seeking help for mental health issues. And the first step to getting better is to get some help.

Visit www.someofus.ca for more information.

“The Some of Us tool kit is an extremely useful tool for reaching youth in the community around mental health issues – and will be a fabulous complement to the curriculum being developed for schools. A focus on healthy minds and healthy bodies will do much to build personal health practices and coping skills in our young people.”

Monique Mullins-Roberts
Dartmouth Community Health Board Coordinator