Thank you, Mr. Rodrigue.
Good morning, everyone.
I am pleased to be here to provide a bit more information about the Mental Health Commission of Canada's research and programming.
Findings from our COVID polling with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction were very clear and concerning. Mental health and substance use concerns were greater for youth overall and differed significantly by gender. We'll table a more detailed report soon, but here are a few highlights.
Half of young women aged 16 to 24 and one-third of young men reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. Again, that's half of young women and a third of young men over the course of the pandemic.
When it comes to substance use health, two in five young women who use cannabis reported problematic use, as well as three in five young men. These impacts are compounded for youth who identify as 2SLGBTQ+, report low incomes and are from ethno-racialized communities.
The MHCC is developing a lens for mental health policy and programming that integrates sex and gender, as well as intersectionality, anti-racism and decolonization, to name a few. Again, we would be pleased to come back to share more with this committee as that work develops, as it may be of interest.
We also have several programs that are making a difference for young people, including young women and girls. For example, over the past year, over 800 teenage girls participated in our Headstrong anti-stigma summits. We also offer training on mental health first aid supporting youth, and we work with campuses across the country to adopt and implement the national standard for mental health and well-being for post-secondary students.
I am pleased now to turn things over to Shaleen Jones, who will speak more on an important mental health priority, which is eating disorders.
Thank you.