2023-10-18 13:11:29
The percentage of parents who are worried about the stress experienced by their young people has jumped 16% in one year, reveals a new survey released Wednesday and the results of which were revealed exclusively to The Canadian Press.
The survey carried out by the firm Maru Public Opinion among more than 500 Quebec parents on behalf of the André-Boudreau Foundation found that 81% of the parents questioned are concerned about the stress and anxiety experienced by their children, compared to at 65% a year ago.
“When we look at the Laurentides region, approximately a third of young people say they suffer from moderate to severe generalized anxiety,” recalled the director of public health for the Laurentides, Doctor Éric Goyer. So yes, it is a public health concern. »
This survey was carried out as part of the launch of the fourth edition of the “Breathe. Don’t let your stress have the last word! “.
The Breathe campaign was born from a collaboration between the André-Boudreau Foundation and the Public Health Department of the Laurentides Integrated Health and Social Services Center. It offers young people aged 6 to 17 and the adults who support them downloadable online tools, humorous clips on TikTok and educational content to prevent anxiety and better manage stress.
The campaign also aims to make young people aware of the fact that the stress they feel is a normal reaction of their body to something that worries them, as long as this stress does not become disabling, said Dr. Goyer.
We also want to prevent young people from trying to relieve their stress on their own by turning to alcohol, drugs or tobacco, especially since a certain stigma still surrounds mental health issues and young people may hesitate to openly ask for help.
“We are trying to equip young people so that they can acquire personal skills to learn to better manage their stress and their emotions,” summarized Dr. Goyer.
Pressure at school
More than half of parents identify pressure at school related to exams and academic performance as the most common source of stress and anxiety.
However, about half of them consider school staff to be among the most significant resources for supporting their children in the face of stress and anxiety. The fourth edition of the Breathe campaign will therefore aim to forge even closer ties with the school environment to reach young people.
The survey data finally reveals that 90% of Quebec parents would like to have more tools and resources to support their child in managing stress and anxiety, and that 23% do not feel well equipped to do so.
“As a parent, we can sometimes be taken a little by surprise in relation to what our young one may experience,” said Dr. Goyer. So there are tools that exist, all with the aim of prevention, so that’s really what we want to do with this type of campaign. »
The survey was conducted online by Maru Public Opinion between September 21 and 26, 2023 among 504 Quebec parents of children under 18 years old. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error of +/- 4.4%, 19 times out of 20.
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