Mental Health and Poverty in Young Lives: Intersections and Directions
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
27 June 2014
Abstract
This paper provides a conceptual synthesis of literature that addresses intersections of mental health, poverty, and school. It is based on a research synthesis for the youth policy framework for Ontario, Stepping Stones. The paper addresses research on challenges involving income inequality, poverty, and mental health that impinge upon school, and examines the enduring ill effects of these issues and academic struggles on young lives. It suggests practices that show promise to support youth. Findings suggest that transitions through school involve multiple developmental negotiations and are a critical site of slippages and successes. The paper ends with a set of reflective questions around age out (of the child and youth services system), the need to address stigma by animating the abundant character of young lives (addressing the subtleties and nuances of the life stories, biographies, and narratives of young people and their communities), the need for authentic collaborations across health and education, and working with and for young people as they collectively and individually determine and negotiate their lives.
Résumé
Cet article offre une synthèse conceptuelle des études sur les intersections de la santé mentale, la pauvreté et l’école. Il est basé sur une synthèse des recherches pour le cadre stratégique ontarien de la jeunesse, D'un stade à l'autre. L'article examine des données de recherche probantes sur les problèmes de l'inégalité des revenus, de la pauvreté et de la santé mentale en tant que ces problèmes touchent les écoles. Il suggère des pratiques prometteuses pour aider les jeunes. Les résultats suggèrent que les transitions à l’école contiennent plusieurs obstacles au développement et sont un site incontournable des réussites et des échecs. L'article se concentre en particulier sur les effets néfastes sur les jeunes de la pauvreté, de l'inégalité des revenus, des problèmes de santé mentale et des luttes scolaires. Il se termine par un série de questions de réflexion autour de la notion de « age out » (termination des services quand le jeune atteint une âge donnée) et de la nécessité de combattre la stigmatisation en animant le caractère abondant de la jeunesse, de promouvoir des collaborations authentiques à travers des services de la jeunesse éducatifs et de la santé et de travailler avec et pour les jeunes dans leurs traversées collectives et individuelles de la vie.
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Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 33 • Number 1 • July 2014
Pages: 63 - 76
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Version of record online: 27 June 2014
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TilleczekKate, FergusonMoira, CampbellValerie, and LezeuKatherine Elizabeth. 2014. Mental Health and Poverty in Young Lives: Intersections and Directions. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
33(1): 63-76. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2014-006
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