Planning Adolescent Mental Health Promotion Programming in Saskatoon

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Psychology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Depressed mood is a significant concern among adolescents.
• Understanding demographic risk factors is crucial for effective mental health interventions.
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, requires tailored mental health promotion programming in schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess associations between demographic risk factors and depressed mood in elementary school students.
• To inform the planning and implementation of mental health promotion programming.
• To identify key determinants of depressed mood for targeted interventions.

Main Methods:

• Survey administered to 3958 students in grades 5-8 from 76 elementary schools.
• Data collected during the 2008/2009 school year.
• Analysis included age, sex, cultural status, neighborhood income, and school/grade level.

Main Results:

• Aboriginal students reported significantly higher rates of moderate/severe depressed mood.
• Older female adolescents were significantly more likely to report moderate/severe depressed mood.
• Neighborhood income accounted for 40% of the variation in depressed mood between schools.

Conclusions:

• Findings support the need for balanced, targeted, and population-based mental health interventions.
• Results can guide the Saskatoon Health Region in developing school-based mental health programs.
• Addressing both distal and proximal determinants of adolescent depressed mood is essential.