A literature review: Exploring barriers to Canadian youth mental health supports and services

Mental health for Canadian youth is an increasingly worsening issue. For many young people who are struggling with their mental health, securing meaningful and appropriate mental health support is challenging. There are significant barriers to accessing mental health services. Barriers can include, but are not limited to, supports available, wait-times, cost, social stigma, and systemic discrimination. For youth belonging to vulnerable communities, these barriers can be exacerbated by social demographic factors (e.g., gender, race). Supports which do not address the unique needs of diverse youth can contribute to poor mental health. Individuals and families often incur large expenses when attempting to access services. The persistence of stigma associated with mental illness can make young people feel increasingly isolated and alienated from peers, family and community members. More research is needed on how to improve service design as well as inputting holistic measures to break down barriers for youth seeking mental health support. In this literature review, we explore key research on the demographics of Canadian youth seeking mental health help, focusing on barriers such as long wait times, service design and community-based options that affect access and outcomes.