A recent survey shows most parents feel confident they can spot early warning signs of mental health challenges in youth, but are still in the dark when it comes to knowing what local programs are available.

The survey was conducted by Harris Poll Canada and showed that nine out of 10 parents believe they can spot the signs. But 44 per cent said they are not aware of early intervention programs.

This is not a surprise to Dr. Jill Chorney, a clinical psychologist at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. She said it is because of the focus on mental health that has helped parents focus more on their child’s emotional well-being.

“Given the information shared across caregivers and parents, there’s certainly more tuned into looking for those (signs) across their children,” she said.

Maureen Brennan, director of IWK Mental Health and Addictions, told The Todd Veinotte Show there are a number of programs available at the IWK and N.S. Health Mental Health and Addictions Program for youth who are struggling.

“They have ambulatory community mental health and addictions clinics. We have clinicians across Nova Scotia schools,” she said. “We have prevention and promotion services that go out into the community to support families and caregivers, and then we have a level of specialized services that are well connected to a variety of supports that youth and caregivers might need and benefit from.”

Chorney said it is important to address mental health early in children, given that it impacts about one in five people.

“For the majority of people living with a mental illness, their symptoms begin before age 18,” she said. “So we know that early intervention can help to change the course of mental health concerns.”

A global UNICEF study suggests many Canadian kids are unhappy, in its recent Report Card. It detailed that one in five youth in Canada face frequent bullying, one in five are lonely and one in four struggle to make friends.

The survey points to bullying in particular for a drop in life satisfaction reported by 15-year-olds — down three percentage points to 76 per cent since 2018.

Because of breaking down the stigma around mental health conversations, children are more likely to reach out to their parents, but other times they might not be turned into what they are feeling. This, Brennan said, parents can help give children the language around speaking about mental health but to wait until they are ready.

“Sometimes the best conversations happen in a car when you’re in a contained space or can happen when you’re tired. And I think the most important thing is being there and working on your child’s timeline,” she said.