Online social therapy platform

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the mental health and well-being of youth. Research shows that nearly 75% of youth report that their mental health has deteriorated since the beginning of the pandemic. Therefore, there is an urgent need to ensure that they have access to complementary integration of digital health innovations (i.e., beyond video chat) into pediatric mental health care.

The project proposes to conduct preliminary research to assess the feasibility of implementing Horyzons-Canada with youth aged 14 to 18, who are accessing mental health services for a range of different issues, including for example: anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, psychosis and risk of psychosis, eating disorders and self-harm. Horyzons-Canada is a comprehensive digital mental health platform that includes: peer support, clinical support and strength-based therapeutic activities that young adults can access between appointments.

This research will help prepare Horyzons-Canada for pilot implementation with clinical populations in high need of this type of intervention.

Impact

Les jeunes de 10 à 24 ans représentent un quart de la population mondiale. Les problèmes de santé mentale représentent le problème numéro un affectant la santé et le bien-être de cette jeune population, et 50 % des troubles mentaux apparaissent avant l’âge de15 ans. Avant la pandémie, des preuves substantielles ont montré une augmentation de l’anxiété, de la détresse, de la dépression et du suicide chez les jeunes, les recherches montrant que près de 75 % des jeunes déclarent que leur santé mentale s’est détériorée pendant cette période.

Leverage effect

The results of this research will have a significant impact by providing evidence on the feasibility of implementing this innovation in pediatric mental health care settings, its potential outcomes, and how best to expand this research to more youth in Quebec and Canada who need this type of intervention.