Sharing Our Research on Youth Mental Health Services – March 2025
Our team had the incredible opportunity to present our project and research results at an international conference! From March 18 to 21, 2025, our researchers participated in the International Association for Youth Mental Health (IAYMH) 7th International Conference in Vancouver. This event brought together professionals, researchers, policymakers, organizations, youth, and activists to rethink and discuss pressing issues in youth mental health.
We showcased our work in two formats: an oral presentation during a symposium and a scientific poster.
Oral Presentation: Youth Mental Health in Underserved Contexts
As part of the symposium Youth Mental Health in Underserved Contexts, chaired by Srividya Iyer and Jai Shah (McGill University, Canada), our presentation provided a general overview of our project and our preliminary findings. We used a timeline approach to illustrate the typical journey of a young person receiving child welfare services in Québec and the psychosocial, relational, and psychological challenges they must confront.
This narrative highlighted the instability many youth experience within the system and the difficulties in providing consistent, tailored mental health care to youth in child welfare services. The presentation sparked strong interest and led to thought-provoking discussions on the training of social workers and child protection workers, the tensions within a legally governed system, the definition of “complex needs” for youth, and how to adapt the child welfare and mental health systems to adequately and appropriately respond to young peoples’ diverse needs and desires.
Scientific Poster: Mental Health Gaps in Child Welfare Services
Our scientific poster provided a concise summary of our scoping review findings. It highlighted the lack of mental health standards within Canada’s child welfare services and underscored the critical need for training in trauma-informed care, relationship-based practice, intersectional perspectives, cultural sensitivity and responsiveness, and youth-inclusive, friendly approaches. These gaps emphasize the urgent need for systemic improvements to ensure youth in care receive appropriate and effective mental health support.
Engaging with Global Research
Beyond our own presentations, we attended a wide range of insightful presentations and research sessions from around the world. It was inspiring to exchange ideas and explore innovative approaches to improving youth mental health services.
Stay tuned for more updates!
