Mental Health and Suicide in Youth

Jack Strathdee
Mr. Torlée
Global Perspectives
May 10th, 2019
Table of Contents

Preface............................................................................................................................................. 4
Definition and Significance ............................................................................................................ 5
Background ................................................................................................................................... 11
Experts .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Jim Harris .................................................................................................................................. 15
Marta Borges ............................................................................................................................. 16
Samantha Docherty ................................................................................................................... 16
Kendra Listro............................................................................................................................. 17
Tracy Poole ............................................................................................................................... 17
Gregory Taylor .......................................................................................................................... 18
Role of Control ............................................................................................................................. 18
International Organizations ........................................................................................................... 22
World Health Organization: ...................................................................................................... 22
National Institute of Mental Health:.......................................................................................... 24
Case Studies .................................................................................................................................. 26
Japan:......................................................................................................................................... 26
North Korea:.............................................................................................................................. 30
Guyana: ..................................................................................................................................... 36
Canada: ...................................................................................................................................... 41
Logic of Evil: ................................................................................................................................ 45
Political Influence: ........................................................................................................................ 50
Religious Influence: ...................................................................................................................... 54
Solutions: ...................................................................................................................................... 57
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 64
Figures ....................................................................................................................................... 64
Figure A1 ............................................................................................................................... 64
Figure A2 ............................................................................................................................... 65
............................................................................................................................................... 65
Expert Interviews ...................................................................................................................... 65
Jim Harris .............................................................................................................................. 65

2
 Marta Borges ......................................................................................................................... 69
Samantha Docherty................................................................................................................ 71
Kendra Listro ......................................................................................................................... 73
Tracy Poole ............................................................................................................................ 74
Gregory Taylor ...................................................................................................................... 75
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 78

3
Preface

Imagine a world where there is no self control. There is a constant voice of doubt, a

feeling of paranoia, people influencing that others cannot see. Common words heard on a daily

basis include ‘crazy’, ‘lunatic’, ‘psycho’, ‘depressing’. Imagine a world, where being understood

was simply a fallacy. Distance from everyone is the only true friend in life. Now finally, imagine

a world where there is no self faith. Nothing that can be done will ever amount to anything. The

concept of life itself is pointless.

Welcome, to the life of a young person suffering from mental illness. The living

nightmare that is a constant threat to their state of well being. A life where in many cases, the

only option for happiness is suicide. A way out. This issue is one that is not often recognized,

and is much more severe than it appears to be. Mental health and suicide is one of the most

disastrous issues to shroud the world of the youth. This sinister conflict takes the minds of young

people, and warps them to the point of desperation. Their world is filled with pain, rage, sadness,

and is simply unbearable for most. Mental illness and suicide attack the minds of youth,

something they have no defense mechanism against.

Mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders incur high psychosocial and economic costs

for the young people who experience them, for their families, and for the society in which they

live, study, and will work. Yet there is a significant imbalance in the nation’s efforts to address

such disorders. People await their emergence and then attempt to treat them, to cure them if

possible, or to limit the damage they cause if not. This happens with any number of expensive

interventions, ranging from psychiatric care to incarceration. (National Research Council and

Institute of Medicine, 2009, n.p).

Mental health and suicide influence every kind of young person. Friends, family,

neighbours, and strangers are all the kinds of young people at risk. People all over the world are

4
suffering. These people live life without control of their mind. They fight a constant battle against

themselves, tearing them apart emotionally and mentally. Untreated youth are at risk of

unemployment, poverty and even suicide. In a mind that they cannot control, reaching a quality

education becomes difficult and for some, impossible. With the lack of education comes lack of

employment, and thus begins the downward spiral into poverty. If a youth suffering from severe

mental illness is fortunate enough to evade the grip of suicide long enough to sustain a family, it

is likely that his or her children are at risk for a similar lifestyle. The cycle repeats itself.

Mental health and suicide should not be a trouble for youth, having to live their lives in

such a hell. However, it is reality. Their mental state is stripped from their very being, and the

gloom engulfs them. There is no escape from this life, only means of treatment that many youths

never receive. Young people all across the globe are being sentenced to this life, if they do not

choose to end it. Mental health and suicide in youth is a global issue that needs to be solved.

Young people should not have to be slave to their own minds.

Definition and Significance

It is estimated that there are 1.2 million children and youth in Canada alone are suffering

from mental illness, yet less that 20% will receive proper treatment (Mental Health Commission

of Canada, 2019). That is 240,000 youth. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights states that (1) everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and

well-being of himself and of his family and (2) motherhood and childhood are entitled to special

care and assistance (United Nations, 2019). However, there are millions of youth around the

world that are not receiving this kind of treatment for an adequate standard of living or treatment,

as stated above that are not receiving proper treatment to ensure the rights that these articles

state. Mental health is defined as the state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or

5
her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully,

and is able to make a contribution to her or his community (World Health Organization, 2019).

This means that youth of our world are constantly fighting against this destructive state of mind,

and have no means of treatment to help ease it either. A major consequence or product of poor

mental health is suicide. People that are traumatized by their own mind often look to suicide, or

taking their own lives, as a mean of escape. These people are taking their own lives because they

are unable to handle their everyday lives due to some kind of mental complication. This is no

exception for the youth of our world. Youth suicide rates are at an all time high, and in 2016 the

suicide count for people aged 10-24 was 140,809 (see Figure 1). Many of these suicides

influenced by or directly caused by mental illness.

Mental health and suicide is an issue that has been overlooked since the beginning of the

human race. These disorders have not simply appeared in youth populations in the last 20 years.

The disorders are often caused by genetic malfunctions, passed on from generation to generation.

It can also simply be caused by the environment around oneself, where the stress, pain and

burden of life eventually breaks a young person. It has become more frequent in youth due to

aspects such as social media, bullying, and much more in our world. But the environment also

has an impact. Poor living conditions, fear for one’s life, abuse. If social media has the

destructive capability to cause depression, imagine the capability that these have on the life of a

young person with a developing and fragile mind.

Poor mental health is something that plagues the mind of a person for their entire lives if

untreated. It directly impacts the way an individual thinks, the way they act, the way they process

emotion, and their quality of life. 10-20% of all youth experience mental illness (MHCC, 2019).

These youth are constantly suffering a mental battle with themselves, and do not receive the

6
adequate treatment, if any at all. They cannot reach their full potential with these illnesses in

control. Mental health and suicide in youth is so important because it is devastating our

population and taking away our youth and future leaders. Children and adolescents are unable to

learn, work and grow with these mental illnesses. In many cases, the improper treatment of

mental health will lead to a suicide attempt. In fact, suicide is the second leading cause of death

in youth (see Figure 2). The collective number of suicides in youth globally in 2016 was upwards

of 60,000 (see Figure 3). This number has since increased, and more and more youth are

suffering from mental health. Many are unable to learn, work and ultimately are unable to

contribute to society. These same youth make up the leaders of the future.

The issue with this is the way that it implicates the youth themselves. It implicates their

mind, and their actions following. It’s in our families, with our friends and in our communities.

Having a mental disorder should not be any different than experiencing a physical illness

(teenmentalhealth.org, 2019). Depression, being one of the most common mental illness in youth

(Canadian Mental Health Association, 2019), causes feelings of self worthlessness and often

suicide. It leaves the victim in a constant state of sadness with lack of interest and motivation.

The total number of 12-19-year-old people in Canada at risk for developing depression is a

staggering 3.2 million. (CMHA, 2019). The most prevalent illness, anxiety, causes panic attacks,

extreme stress, paranoia and trauma within themselves (Canadian Mental Health Association,

2019). Anxiety disorders range in severity, some of the most serious developing into PTSD. One

of the most severe illnesses prevalent in youth aged 15 to 25 is schizophrenia. Despite touching a

mere 1% of the total population (CMHA, 2019) the majority of these patients are youth.

Schizophrenia causes hallucination, delusions, paranoia, and distances the patient from reality.

Many individuals are considered ‘crazy’ by the general population despite being victim to their

7
own mind. As a whole, these illnesses and similarly related issue tear their way through the lives

of youth, destroying the past self of the youth.

One of the most disastrous ways it hurts the life of the victim is the way it affects their

ability to learn. Being youth, many are enrolled in academic programs in high school or

university. The stress load of school and academics accumulates on every student, due to

procrastination and copious amounts of work. According to Mueser et al., stress adds to the

impact of the mental illness on a person and can lead to trigger them as well (1998). Having a

learning environment so detrimental to the health of a student is a significant impact, as students

are not able to properly learn for an education and career in their future. This means that less and

less people will be taking up the higher education requiring jobs, many youths not coming

anywhere close to their full potential. More and more people are unemployed, working low

paying jobs, and barely getting by if at all. In 2014, 70 to 90 percent of people with severe

mental illness were unemployed (CMHA, 2014). These numbers will soon become the youth of

our world today because they are unable to be educated, be employed and will ultimately fall

victim to poverty. It has an impact on our society and our economy, with increased

unemployment in this population. Overall, mental health implicates the learning ability of youth

and will have detrimental impacts later in life.

Another major significance on the impact of the youth is the way that it impacts the

future of the youth. During a person’s youth are the formative years. These years are where

people develop behaviours, opinions, habits, and so much more. It is also a major time in their

lives that build up areas such as traumas, fears and mental complications. In the case of many

individuals, trigger events in their youth lead to complications in their future. Some triggers can

cause mental health issues, contribute to these issues later in life, and so on. Examples of these

8
triggers in the formative years include stress, abuse, poor environment, constant fear and more.

These things are so impactful because the minds of youth are still developing, and greatly impact

their cognitive functions based around these traumatic events. As the youth mature, they carry

these impacts with them. They learn and grow with these complications and lead unhealthy lives

because of the lack of assistance and positivity when growing. Having a mental illness makes it

difficult to hold employment, have a stable life and function within society. Youth all over the

world that grow up like this and do not receive proper treatment have and will continue to live

like this, overall negatively impacting them, their families and the society around them.

Youth mental health in turn influences our world. People who are troubled as youth often

end up carrying the mental illness into later life, into future endeavors. Many of these people that

remain untreated for their lives will be unemployed. Even 30 percent of people living with

depression and anxiety are unemployed (CMHA, 2019). This a large portion of the population

that remains unemployed, impacting the nation as a whole. They have less people in the

workforce, leading to less productivity. The country will in turn have a lower GDP, lower annual

income, and decreased statistics related to that because these people are not currently employed.

Economically, the nation is not reaching its full potential. Not only this, literacy and education

rates are not as high because students with mental health complications struggle to maintain high

marks. Socially, relationships are broken. People lose contact within the community with young

people impacted by mental health, and the social influence they have on their world is

completely lost.

On the personal life aspect, mental health has a major impact on the life of the affected

and their family around them. The way mental health destroys a person is unparalleled to

anything else. People living with depression are in constant states of sadness, where their mind is

9
plagued with thoughts that they are unable to amount to anything, inability to focus and lack of

interest in the world around them, and sometimes to the extent of suicidal thoughts. Depression

consumes the mind of a young person, with heightened negative effect because of the less

developed cognitive function. This distances the youth from their families, because they are so

consumed within their own self doubt and dissatisfaction that they cannot socialize within

groups, let alone their family. Eventually, the cause of the depression can reach the family and

friends of the afflicted. Seeing someone they love so much in such a state of horror takes a toll

on the mind of them. They stress, worry for them, and in cases, develop their own mental

illnesses. Being a youth and being in such a highly social and interactive stage of their life makes

the influence on the people around them much more widespread. Classmates, grandparents,

parents, siblings, close friends and so on. It essentially destroys the lifestyle that a young person

might have once had, or may prevent them from ever achieving it.

Of even more importance, there is the way that suicide impacts the youth and the world

around them. Suicide, along with motor vehicle accidents, accumulate 60 percent of death in

youth and suicide is one of the top three leading causes of death in Canadian and global youth

(teenmentalhealth.org, 2019). Tremendous amounts of youth are taking their own lives, most of

the time due to mental health related conflict in their lives such as bullying trauma, abuse,

depression, etc. This means that due to these poor conditions, many youth resorts to taking their

own lives as a means of release. Like mental health, suicide impacts the person, the people

around them and the world as a whole.

“But in the end, one needs more courage to live than to kill himself.” - Albert Camus.

Camus means that living life is more daunting than taking your own life in some cases. For many

youths with mental illness, this is the case. The clear impact on themselves is the loss of their

10
life. However, the pain does not end there. It is passed to the loved ones of the youth. Family

grieves, people are blamed and sometimes others take their lives too. “A suicide is like a pebble

in a pond. The waves ripple outward.” - Ken Norton. The first “waves,” close by, are big, and as

they move outward, they get smaller and smaller. The reach of the pebble’s waves is much

greater than the size of the pebble itself (Premack Sandler, 2018). These mean that the largest

effects of suicide hit the family and close friends, and carry throughout the people around them

in a ripple like form. The world around them is hit hard by the loss, and is something that is

extremely difficult to overcome.

Suicide has many impacts on the world. Politically, it is an issue brought forward that

many people are passionate about. It is another conflict that politicians have to strive to solve,

whether it be through new implemented health care systems, areas to reach out, etc. Suicide

protocol is something that has been implemented as a result of suicides, and is an exemplar of

action being taken by Simcoe County to solve this issue they are confronted with. Socially,

suicide causes a large wave of sadness, grief and mourning. Many people pay their respects, wish

they could have done more, and so on. Suicide can bring communities together to talk, support

one another and help each other through the loss. In some cases, it may divide the community

because of blame and anger. It has the power to cause an uproar, and the way it is handled

socially is up to the people.

Background

Earth is consumed by problems. Global issues that directly impact the population, the

environment and even the Earth itself. These issues have been rising and falling for centuries,

such as world wars, but none have been around as long as mental health has. Mental health and

suicide have dated back to the beginning of the human race. Before humans had technology,

11
social media, society even, there was mental health and suicide. In fact, many global issues have

been caused by mental health and suicide as a result. Since the start of humanity, fear for life and

poor living was a constant. Hunter gatherers, constantly on the move despite the conditions just

to have enough resources to survive. Human ancestors, living in sub zero conditions during the

Ice Ages with barely enough warmth to stay alive. The descendants of mankind have been

constantly fighting for survival in a world much less stressful than the one we live in now. The

conditions they survived would drive the average man to the brink of insanity. If the people that

carried us to the point we are today were suffering from this issue, there is no doubt that it has

been an issue forever and most likely will be until the end of the human race.

Considering the roots of this issue, it is easily explained how it is still a prevalent world

issue today. From generation to generation, mutations in the mind are passed down from parents.

Some may cause direct mental health conflict upon birth, others triggered later in life due to

events around a young person that cause an imbalance. Mental health and suicide date back

through countless myths and stories in religion and history. An example is Ajax the Great, a

Greek figure in mythology, was depicted as ‘mad’ ad ‘crazed’ after not receiving Achilles’

armour and being casted aside. Ajax outbursts and after slaughtering herds of livestock, as he

believes there were his enemies from Athena. Soon thereafter, Ajax commits suicide by his own

sword (Illiad, Homer). The words ‘mad’ and ‘crazed’ clearly show how Ajax lost control of

himself and his mind took over. This story dates back to around 750 B.C when Homer wrote the

Iliad. 1,269 years ago.

Methods to treat people with mental health existed centuries ago. The people believed

that mental illness was a spiritual conflict, and that they should remove the spirit. One of the

methods that was used was called trepanning. This is when a hole is drilled or bored into a

12
human skull in order to access the brain. People used trephination as a way to allow evil spirits to

exit the mind of someone they deemed possessed or crazed by demons. For some, it was a ritual

practice speculated to have been performed by shamans. Many of the people that the shaman

performed the procedure on were young men. Surely, we can surmise that intractable headaches,

epilepsy, animistic possession by evil spirits, or mental illness, expressed by errant or abnormal

behavior could have been indications for surgical intervention prescribed by the shaman of the

late Stone or early Bronze Age (Faria, Miguel, 2013). Trephination dates back to the Neolithic

period, as discovered in ancient remains. (Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2013). Evidence of

people surviving these operations is seen in old skulls discovered (see Figure 4). These are skulls

from 12,000 years ago that display attempts and even successful procedures in an attempt to

spiritually alleviate mental illness.

More methods began to arise such as bloodletting and purging, isolation and asylums,

coma therapy, shock therapy, Metrazol therapy, lobotomy and more unorthodox methods that are

now considered obsolete that caused major health issues in the patients like seizures and trauma

(Hussung, 2016). Despite being ruled obsolete, the methods were attempts to aid people dating

back hundreds and thousands of years.

One of the most devastating issues in regards to mental health was World War II. This

includes its development, the massacres that ensued within it, and the horrors that enveloped not

only the youth but the entire world. The entire conflict began to simmer on April 20th, 1889.

This was the day Adolf Hitler was born. In a family with a very strict father, Adolf spent his

youth excelling in school. However, when his eldest brother, Alois Jr., ran away, Adolf began to

experience the true intensity of his father. He was scrutinized, hit, and unfairly treated by his

father figure, especially with his decision to pursue art that his father detested. As Adolf grew up,

13
he lost 4 siblings. The most impactful was the death of his younger brother Edmund, who died of

the measles (History, 2019). Adolf began to distance himself, and began to struggle in school.

His father died in 1903, and his mother soon thereafter in 1907 (History, 2019). This left Adolf

virtually alone at the age of 18. He was declined from Vienna Art School, and was enrolled to

fight in World War I. Consumed by German nationalism and war trauma, Hitler reformed

Germany into Nazi Germany. After suffering many traumas during his early years, being riddled

with loss and abuse during his formative years, officials diagnosed Hitler with many alleged

disorders. This included schizophrenia, PTSD, bipolar, and more (Treher, 1966). The lack of

technology made it difficult to diagnose Hitler, but there was no doubt that he was suffering from

mental illness. Hitler began to orchestrate operations such as the holocaust and the ruthless

invasion of many countries, beginning with Poland. As Hitler’s army ravaged Europe, many

people tried to flee. People were imprisoned, tortured, beaten, experimented on, disfigured,

mutilated. Others did not let themselves bear victim to these horrible actions and feared the pain

that stood before them. Instead of fight, the people lost hope and took their own lives as a result.

The lucky people who survived were scarred, and many developed PTSD from the trauma they

underwent. This illness ultimately led to the free reign of a troubled youth to become a reality

that resulted in the death of millions (F. Redlich, 2001).

As society has evolved through the years, the severity of mental health and suicide in

youth has evolved as well. Issues that caused mental health were similar to war, oppression,

colonization and imperialization. The acts are mentally daunting on people. Slaves in the 1800s

were whipped, abused, starved, raped, killed (Crash Course, 2013, 7:03). People of the Congo

were colonized and mutilated, starved, forced out of their lifestyles (Sample Passage, 2015,

2:45). Soldiers in wars experienced PTSD that lasted their whole lives. Throughout history,

14
people of all ethnicity have struggled with mental health. As society has progressed, mental

illness has been passed down through generations. Then came modern society. The invention of

the internet. Internet and social media is one of the biggest influences on youth mental health.

Social media platforms allow people to hide behind screens and mentally destroy unsuspecting

youth. These can be threats, insults, blackmail, or constant online abuse. Social media also paints

a very poor picture for body image, causing insecurities that lead to depression in many youth

(Miller, 2019). Isolation as a result of social media also cause social consequence, that leads to

anxiety, mild depression, and stress. With all of the harassment, body shaming and isolation that

occurs as a result of social media and the internet, mental illness in youth has risen. Even though

many young people in first world countries live a stable lifestyle with little concern of war and

oppression, the internet and social media plays a major role in the development of depression and

anxiety, two of the most frequent mental health complications in youth.

Experts

Mental health and suicide in youth is a very large global issue. It has variation through

the way that it influences each individual youth, and is a topic that many struggle to understand.

“I stopped explaining myself when I realized other people only understand from their level of

perception.” (HealthyPlace.com). However, there are many experts on mental health that

understand the way it impacts youth and how outside forces influence them. They specialize in

treatment, cause and effect. An interview with each professional is found in the appendix

Jim Harris

The first expert is Jim Harris. Jim Harris is the Ward 8 Councillor in Barrie. He was born

and raised in Barrie Ontario, and has grown up as both a citizen and a professional. He has made
15
large contributions to the community, including the 2018 Chief of Police award for his

contribution to the Barrie Police. He has worked with many of the city’s key partners on a

variety of projects, ranging from expanding access to health care, telemedicine, designing and

evaluating training programs, creating service partnerships, developing affordable housing, and

bringing events to Barrie. Jim attended Wilfred Laurier University and University of Liverpool

for studies including mental health and addiction, and have given him professional background

for his contributions to the City of Barrie.

Marta Borges

Marta Borges is a mental health professional from the Georgian Bay Family Health Team

(GBFHT). Family Health Teams are primary health care organizations that include a team of

family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, dietitians, and other

professionals who work together to provide primary health care for their community. They

ensure that people receive the care they need in their communities, as each team is set-up based

on local health and community needs (GBFHT, 2019). She has been a mental health professional

since 2011, serving youth crisis services, psychiatric hospitals and outpatient settings. Most of

her experience comes from the USA, as she has only been working as a MH counsellor in

Canada since November of 2018.

Samantha Docherty

The third expert interviewed is Samantha Docherty. She has worked in a variety of

different locations over her career in mental health. Samantha Docherty has worked at the Centre

for Mental Health and Addictions in Toronto, where she worked on local and national youth

16
mental health projects. Samantha was the youth coordinator of the National Youth Action

Council and was involved in projects including youth wellness hubs and youth engagement in

mental health. Samantha was the project lead for the Transitional aged youth system of support

at Waypoint, and also worked for New Path Youth and family services.

Kendra Listro

Kendra Listro is a mental health professional who works with the GBFHT as a board

member. She is involved in the Be Well Project, which is a project about screening people who

may need help in the area of mental health. This project can be beneficial for early assessment in

youth. Kendra Listro has also helped to develop a website to provide resources and information

about healthy living to individuals living in South Georgian Bay. Kendra Listro is mainly

involved with mental health promotion and aid in Collingwood, Ontario.

Tracy Poole

Tracy Poole is a child and youth worker/counsellor in affiliation with the GBFHT. She

has worked on projects such as the Mental Health Awareness Campaign, which was a large

campaign with an overall goal to take away the stigma of Mental health and well as having been

involved in speaking to parents about Mental Health and Suicide prevention in relation to youth.

These two projects that Poole was associated with have helped contribute to the reduction of the

stigma in mental health for youth, as well as helped parents handle and provide their children

with the proper care.

17
Gregory Taylor

Gregory Taylor is the counselling coordinator and mental health case manager at

Georgian College. He visits classrooms to offer workshops on suicide awareness and prevention

and promoting mental health and anti-stigma. Gregory Taylor has been a member of the Simcoe

Muskoka Suicide Awareness Committee for the last five years. He co-facilitated a group called

“Skills for Safer Living” which is a 20-week suicide recovery program for people who are

repetitively suicidal, created by Yvonne Bergman at St. Mike’s hospital in Toronto several years

ago. Taylor works with the social workers at the mental health unit at Royal Victoria Hospital,

and is also a safeTALK trainer, offering a three-hour suicide alertness training program for

anyone 15 years of age and older. Gregory Taylor has an extensive background with various

projects of contribution.

Role of Control

“You’ll be doing everyone a favor if you just swallow the whole bottle of pills in your

mom’s locked cupboard and end it all. You know where she keeps the key. No one wants you

around.” (Words on Bathroom Walls, Julia Walton, 2017). The young victims of mental health

are at risk to their own mind. They become soldiers, fighting an endless war with none other than

themselves and their perception of reality. They do not have a grasp on what the world is, on

who they are, nor do many have a grasp on a reason to keep living. The power that many people

have to control themselves, to authorize themselves, is lost for them. Mental illness is an evil that

wrenches the mind of youth away from them, torturing them internally and slowly guiding them

so an even more sinister force. Suicide. Mental health and suicide itself is what controls the

minds of the youth it besets.

18
 Mental health is not the most detectable, and is not easily halted either. Many victims,

especially those who experience hallucinations through illness such as schizophrenia, do not

initially understand that they are suffering from mental illness. It is so complex because mental

health occurs in a various number of ways, and each mental illness has different cause and effect.

They can be genetic malfunctions, hereditary, caused by past trauma, or by other triggers in life

like substance abuse or brain injury. Some illnesses are commonly mistaken for others, falsely

diagnosing the extremity of the illness. For example. Schizophrenia and bipolar are commonly

mistaken for the sudden change of mood, restlessness, impulsive outbursts, and many more

symptoms that are very difficult to differentiate the two disorders (Cannon et al., 2012). These

disorders are all so similar yet so different, and make it even harder for medical officials to

understand and diagnose just what these youth are going through. Modern technology has helped

to advance this, as technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data

collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are giving the public,

doctors, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding

of mental wellbeing (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017). At the root of it all, there is the

victim. The person being afflicted by all of these causes, effects and misunderstandings. Unable

to understand themselves in a world surrounded by people who struggle to understand them.

Mental illness has the potential to affect any youth, and affects everyone around them.

The only thing that decides against it is how fortunate the young person is to resist the

corruption. Corruption referring to the loss of power over one’s mind. The aspect of control is

not the same for youth suffering from a mental illness. They do not have the control. Mental

illness does. It changes the way you function as a person. Different illnesses distance one from

19
their past self in different ways, but many will end the same way if not treated in time or

properly.

Imagine losing control, being completely removed from reality. Where thoughts,

perception, emotions and behaviour are lost. Focussing in on a class only to have a flock of

ravens swarm, clawing and crying away but never to touch. A life where peaceful relaxation is

interrupted by a ghost from the past walking into the room to criticize. To have conversation

with new friends everyone refuses to acknowledge, and be called crazy or delusional to talk to

them. Friends begin to distance themselves; family begins to worry. Grades start to slip, and

staying up late becomes a common occurrence because new friends are always there to keep

poor company. The biggest priority becomes escaping those who keep returning. However,

regardless of the location, they never fail to return. One day, a loud bang is followed by a rush of

fear and all that is seen is a rush of menacing criminals flooding forwards. All that can be done is

to scream. People start to stare, point and laugh. They cannot seem to see what had just

happened. Teachers come to comfort, and short there after the hospital is the next destination.

The doctor says three lingering words; “you have schizophrenia.” (Words on Bathroom Walls,

Julia Walton, 2017). This is what is like for a young person to live with such an illness. Their

lives become filled with hallucinations of various kinds. People begin to separate themselves as

they notice a change but say nothing. School and work become irrelevant, as life is now being

lived with the lingering feeling of paranoia. Sleep problems follow because hallucinations

continue to keep them awake. At some point, an outburst occurs and people realize that

something may be wrong. All the while, control over the person they were is lost. Decisions are

influenced by voices and hallucinations, and sometimes the illness gets the better of the troubled.

Referring back to the quote by Julia Walton, “You’ll be doing everyone a favor if you just

20
swallow the whole bottle of pills in your mom’s locked cupboard and end it all. You know where

she keeps the key. No one wants you around,” it shows the kinds of voices that youth troubled by

schizophrenia experience. The main character, a young teen named Adam, begins to have

thoughts like these throughout the later stages of the novel as his schizophrenia worsens. His

mind has turned on him, and he no longer has control. This is the harsh reality for many youth

suffering from this disease.

This is a similar battle being fought for youth with every range of illness. Youth with

mental illness lose grip on their minds, and the illness takes hold. Many cannot think for

themselves, become overwhelmed by dark thought and action, and lose themselves. There is no

control to be had in the reality that youth troubled by mental illness live in. They are the people

who lack control, authority over their own minds.

There is no power in the subject of mental illness. There is no control. All people can do is

harness the beast of the illness. The way this can be done is by receiving proper care to dull the

symptoms and help life be somewhat bearable. The question is: who bears the harness? Answer:

the government, as well as companies with large brand name status. They have the ability to

spread word and advertise mental health awareness, raise funds for mental health care, and

directly implement new health care projects to aid the youth.

Governments of countries that authorize health care have the potential to give patients the

harness. By issuing the proper health care, young people will be able to cope with their mental

illnesses. In a study to determine the cost and health effects of changes in the content and quality

of care for depressed patients treated in prepaid general medical practices, the results were found

to be more appropriate care for depression, increased counseling, use of appropriate

antidepressant medications (Sturm & Wells, 1995). These types of services are monitored by the

21
federal government and health care. The continued implementation of these factors, as well as

more extensive research to fully understand the illnesses is where the government and health care

distributors have the ability to tame mental illness.

Large brand name companies that have contact with many people in the world also have

the ability to help. They have the opportunity to spread awareness and fundraise for mental

health research. Bell Canada is a company that has done such a thing. Bell Let’s Talk Day is a

day dedicated to fundraising for research on mental health. Bell has raised over 9 million dollars

across Canada, have granted over 534 community grants, have funded 3.53 million dollars into

grants for children and youth, as well as 938 thousand dollars to indigenous people and 1.6

million to military family support. One single company has made such change for millions of

people, youth and adolescent alike. Companies like Bell can help to fund health care for youth to

help reach a world that is stigma free.

International Organizations

World Health Organization:

The World Health Organization is a large organization that runs internationally. It

operates in over 150 countries, with over 7,000 people dispersed throughout these. Founded

April 7, 1948, the WHO has made all kinds of contributions to the world in all aspects of health

care (World Health Organization, 2019). They focus on primary health care to improve access to

quality essential services. The WHO works towards sustainable financing and financial

protection, improve access to essential medicines and health products, train the health workforce

and advise on labour policies, support people's participation in national health policies, and

improve monitoring, data and information. They are dedicated to mental health promotion and

care, providing the world with better access to care.

22
 A project they are conducting called the Mental Health Atlas project in 2017 provides a

national-level snapshot of the existence of policies, plans and laws for mental health, human and

financial resources available and the type of facilities providing care (WHO, 2019). The profiles

are published as part of WHO’s Mental Health Atlas project. They update this project to the

public every three years, the most recent update in 2017. This project helps inform the people of

the world about the qualities of mental health in over 150 countries, to understand just what is

being done about this issue (WHO, 2019). It monitors the progress for mental health treatment

for youth and the rest of the country’s population.

In the WHO’s European region, they have implemented policies and plans alongside

member states, as well as provided guidance, tools and advocacy for the promotion of mental

health and the development of prevention, treatment and recovery services across the life-course.

These programs and plans help increase the amount of health care available for youth, and

provide environments that follow their human rights to no exception.

In the Pan American Health Organization section of the WHO, they have a mental health

program that promotes, coordinates and implements technical cooperation to strengthen national

capacities to develop policies, plans, programs, and services, thus contributing to mental well-

being, prevent mental disorders, emphasize recovery, and promote persons with mental disorders

to exercise their human rights to attain the highest possible level of health and to contribute to

the well-being of families and communities. They have adopted a plan of action set that has run

from 2015 and will continue until 2020, that is used to help decrease morbidity, disability, injury

and premature mortality, and the risk for other health conditions in youth (WHO, 2019).

23
 Overall, the WHO has many successful programs to help promote mental health and

better the youth of the countries they are promoting through health care, awareness and greater

access for youth populations. (World Health Organization, 2019).

National Institute of Mental Health:

The National Institute of Mental Health is the lead federal agency for research on mental

disorders. NIMH is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the National Institutes of

Health, the largest biomedical research agency in the world. NIH is part of the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services (National Institution of Mental Health, 2019). They are invested

in reaching a world where mental illness is cured and prevented.

The NIMH has multiple programs that they plan to implement to help the future of

mental health aid. Objective one is to define the mechanisms for complex behaviours. They plan

to describe the molecules, cells, and neural circuits associated with complex behaviors, then

identify the genomic and non-genomic factors associated with mental illnesses and finally map

the connectomes for mental illnesses (NIMH, 2019). This would allow for a deep understanding

as to how genomes, genetics and brain function pertains to the way mental illnesses develop and

function. It would make diagnosis and treatment a much easier process.

Their second objective is to chart mental illness trajectories to determine when, where,

and how to intervene. According to their understanding of brain disorders, it seems likely that

manifest mental illnesses are the late signs of changes in brain circuits and subtle disruptions in

behavior and cognition that begin years earlier. These early abnormalities may influence the

course of subsequent brain and behavioral development and establish a trajectory of mental

illness (NIMH, 2019). This objective is a two-part process. Step one is to characterize the

24
developmental trajectories of brain maturation and dimensions of behavior to understand the

roots of mental illnesses across diverse populations. Step two is to identify clinically useful

biomarkers and behavioral indicators that predict change across the trajectory of illness. This

objective allows to understand when different mental illnesses occur, what parts of the brain are

influenced, and how they can treat each individual illness making youth suffering from mental

illness much more likely to receive proper treatment on time. This would in turn help youth have

a means of more effective treatment so that suicide is not an option that they seek.

The third objective they have is to strive for cures and prevention. The way they plan to

do this is by reconceptualizing the scientific study of mental illnesses in an integrative and

dimensional way, forging a path to a future where measures of an individual’s genetic, neural,

physiological, and behavioral states will form the basis of an increasingly specific and

informative diagnosis. This can be accomplished by developing new treatments based on

discoveries in genomics, neuroscience, and behavioral science. They then have to develop ways

to tailor existing and new interventions to optimize outcomes. Lastly, testing with interventions

for effectiveness in community practice settings will conclude this objective. Curing mental

illness and preventing its development in youth would solve the issue of mental health and

suicide in youth, as mental health would no longer be a conflict.

The NIMH has great objectives and have made great contributions towards the future of

mental health and suicide in youth. By implementing these objectives, youth will be able to live

life with more ease and the control over themselves they should have.

25
Case Studies

Japan:

Japan is a country in Eastern Asia, consisting of approximately 6,852 islands off of the

coast. Japan has a population of approximately 126.8 million, one of the highest in the world.

However, Japan has a land mass of merely 377,973 square kilometers (World Population, 2019).

This results in a population density of 336 people per square kilometer. Japan has a growth rate

of -0.26%, meaning they have a decreasing population. The GDP per capita in 2017 was 48,566

dollars (World Population, 2019). Japan is a highly developed country, due to the advanced

infrastructure and highly advanced market that have allowed for the country to expand,

becoming an economic giant. However, Japan does not have a clean history by any means. From

samurai practice to involvement in World Wars, Japan was founded on the belief of imperialism.

As it has the rest of the world, mental illness has plagued Japan for ages. Suicide is a very

common thing within Japanese history, with acts such as seppuku and acts of kamikaze pilots in

world wars. Seppuku is that act of suicide, commonly seen by Samurai and Ronin, who were

Japanese military or soldiers. If these men failed their duty or were deemed traitors, they were

stripped of their armor and sat on their knees. They produce a dagger out of a sheath, and

forcibly disembowel themselves by plunging the dagger into their midsection, slowly killing

them (Andrews, 2016). Seppuku was commonly seen through the dynasties and periods of Japan

(Britannica, 2019). The act of kamikaze pilots, seen prominently in World War II, is when pilots

intentionally crash their plane, killing themselves and others upon impact. The most renowned

event for kamikaze pilots in Japan is Pearl Harbour. When pilots would run out of ammunition,

they would intentionally crash into nearby air bases or ships in an attempt to destroy them

instead of returning to carriers to reload and refuel. The reason for these acts is due to their

allegiance to the nation, driven out of fear or insanity. The ideology of Japanese rule and

26
Imperialistic nature is enforced at a young age, guiding people throughout their lives. It

formulates their mental construction, and often influences the way one thinks and acts.

Imperialism, which is the act of extending the influence and territory of a country by

military force, is a force that has contributed to a great deal of suffering. In the late 1800’s and

early 1900’s, imperialism took hold of Japan. The leaders wanted to expand the nation outwards

into Asia by taking over countries or expanding government by means of violence and force.

These ideals resulted in several wars, such as the two-part Sino-Japanese war (Pollard, 1939), the

first war lasting only eight months and the second a conflict that lasted from 1937 to 1945. Both

wars were fought between China and Japan, resulting in millions of casualties for both sides War

ravaged the people of Japan, and was what most had to survive through. This war separated

families and threw many into dangerous situations, ravaging the minds of the youth victim to the

dreadful conditions. Other youth were forced into the fighting themselves, losing their lives or

suffering PTSD for the remainder of their lives ahead of them. Some families relocated to Korea

in 1910 to start again in Korea and leave imperial Japan behind ((Blakemore, 2018).). However,

the imperial rule followed them. The Japanese people were not as oppressed as the Koreans who

were victim to the government, but they did have to abide by the government and the ideas it

held. Resisting the government was considered treason, and was punishable by death. Death

instilled fear into the minds of the Japanese youth that disagreed with the regime. Those who

were not punished had to endure constant oppression for the remainder of their days. Youth bore

witness to executions, mass shootings, destruction of entire cities, and the enslavement of Korean

people. Violent acts such as these caused devastation in the formative years of the Japanese

youth, and many suffered from mental illness. Japanese history, despite being the imperial force

27
that often-caused death to other nations, was majorly built on suicide and mental illness because

of the way the government executed their beliefs.

Japan’s youth suicide rate is the highest that it has ever been in the last 30 years, and is

the leading cause of death for people under the age of thirty years old. In 2017, 250 youth

attending elementary and high schools took their own lives due to bullying and mental health

complications (Wakatsuki, 2018). Youth suicide rates for youth in school have remained this

high, and have hit a peak of 268 (Wakatsuki, 2018). This does not account for the majority of

Japan’s youth that it currently in the workforce, who are included in the 31,000 suicides per year.

In 2014, an average of 70 people committed suicide in Japan each day (Wakatsuki, 2018).

Suicide increase is due to a multitude of causes, many relating back to mental health.

In Japan, the economy is something that is prided and well known. However, within this

behemoth economy, many people undergo and experience financial and economical pressure. In

Japan, its booming economy and large population makes it difficult for many youths to find

work, as the average GDP per capita is only 40,000 dollars a year (World Bank, 2019). Living

life in poverty is extremely difficult for any being, let alone a young developing mind. Poverty

gives the youth a feeling of failure, and the Japanese tend to save face. This means to hold

respect and avoid being humiliated. To Japanese people, this is very important and failing within

the economy is a large and heavy weight to bear. As Nishida states,

"This is a rule-oriented society. Young people are moulded to fit in to a very small box.

They have no way to express their true feelings. If they feel under pressure from their

boss and get depressed, some feel the only way out is to die."

Thus, many unemployed youths take their own lives each year because of the financial pressure

and failure. They not only have a difficulty supporting themselves and live poor lifestyles, but

28
the cultural influence of suicide is one that pushes the people even more so than the rest of the

world.

Within Japan’s culture, suicide is often seen as a solution to many kinds of failures.

Considering Japan has a history built around methods of suicide upon failure, it is no surprise

that it has been carried out to this day. Not only youth but people in Japan commit suicide out of

cultural pressure, as the people and ancestors before them have done so for centuries. The culture

has cultivated the minds of the Japanese youth to believe that suicide is a method of punishment

that no one will question. It is no doubt that this mindset is unhealthy, having been forged from a

place of evil. Lastly, Japan lacks the proper medical pharmaceuticals to treat mental disorders

such as depression. In a study conducted by Atsuo Nakagawa and other officials, it was observed

that Prozac and Zoloft, effective and commonly prescribed drugs in Canada, have not been

accepted in Japan. In fact, it was noted in the study that in recent years, there has been a near

50% increase in antidepressant prescription in both men and women, most commonly those who

are unemployed. Not having these pharmaceutical drugs available makes it very difficult for

people to cope with disorders such as depression, and allows the cultural and financial pressure

to overcome the people.

There are, however, a few solutions to this epidemic in Japan. The solution is to make

antidepressants and other prescription drugs to help the struggling cope. Financial pressures are

heavily influenced by cultural pressures, and abandoning the culture for Japanese people would

only make the situation more drastic. Therefore, the solution is to make drugs more accessible

like Prozac and Zoloft, as well as promoting mental health awareness in the country. Making it

acceptable to have mental disorders and receive treatment would remove the pressures of failure,

and inspire citizens to seek help instead of taking their lives in disappointed and depression. This

29
can be done through programs similar to Bell Lets Talk, promoting the issue nationwide.

Ultimately, this will allow Japanese citizens to receive the care they need without being

influenced by culture of succumbing to the cultural way of life that results in suicide.

North Korea:

North Korea is a communist country located in Eastern Asia, with a population of

roughly 25.6 million people and a growth rate of 0.46%. With an area of 120,538 square

kilometers, North Korea has a population density of 213.44 people per square kilometer (World

Population, 2019). North Korea has an average GDP per capita of only 1,800 dollars per person,

and is one of the poorest countries in the world (World Population, 2019). North Korea is a

developing country, with very poor economy and governmental structure due to the imperial and

communist rule that it has been ruled under since its origination in 1948. However, despite its

young age, North Korea has a history dating back decades before its foundation.

Imperialism has left a lasting impact on North Korea. From 1910 to 1945, Japan worked

to destroy Korean culture and its way of life ((Blakemore, 2018).). They began this by annexing

Korea in 1910, through means of a treaty called the Korea-Japan Convention in 1905 that made

Korea a colony of Japan (Taylor, 2013). This means that they expanded their territory by taking

over Korea and assimilating them into the Japanese way of life. Japanese citizens then began to

settle within the Korean borders. From 1907 to 1910, people resisted the annexing. Nearly

17,000 people were killed during this resistance period (Taylor, 2013). Once annexed in 1910,

for the first ten years of the Japanese rule, they were directly ruled from the military. Korean

language, religion and culture was forbidden in schools and universities, and hundreds of

thousands of texts were burned and destroyed (Blakemore, 2018).). This ruined Korean life as

30
they knew it, having their way of life replaced by Japanese rule. Business, education, economy

and social interaction was all Japanese. During this period of colonialism, many Japanese

families began to settle in Korea. Around 100,000 families settled on land they were given

(Pollard, 1939). Nearly 725,000 Korean workers were made to work in Japan and its other

colonies (McKay, 2018). Japan forced hundreds of thousands of Korean women into life as

slaves who served in military brothels. Many others were put to work in poor conditions like

factories, and others forced into internment camps. These camps enslaved the people to do work

for the government, and were horrible in condition with strict laws resulting in severe

punishment or death if broken. Internment camps carried out through North Korea’s existence

during the Cold War, and some even still exist today.

The rule was not only violent, but also destructive to culture. One of the most powerful

symbols of Korean sovereignty and independence was its royal palace, Gyeongbokgung, which

was built in Seoul in 1395 by the Joseon dynasty (New World Encyclopedia, 2017). Soon after

assuming power, the Japanese colonial government tore down over a third of the historic

buildings similar to Gyeongbokgung, and the remaining structures were turned into tourist

attractions for Japanese visitors (Chen, 1970). Essentially, Japan manipulated Korea and took

advantage of them through every way possible to optimize Japanese presence. This forced

worship was viewed as an act of cultural genocide by many Koreans, meaning that the culture

was completely destroyed or killed. Many people accepted the way of life out of fear, and not

many people turned heads to the issue. Eventually, after a protest against Japanese colonialism

on March 1, 1919, the Japanese began to relax their harsh rule (Taylor, 2013). This allowed for

an extremely miniscule amount of freedom. Despite the highly oppressive rule, this loosening of

Japan’s grip on Korea allowed for a growth of modern Korean aspects to begin to show. Some

31
examples of these aspects include rapid urban growth, the expansion of commerce, and forms of

mass culture such as radio and cinema, which became widespread (Kimura, 1995). Industrial

development also took place, partly encouraged by the Japanese colonial state. People began to

adopt Japanese last names, as an attempt to assimilate with Japanese rule and better themselves

in their society due to the newfound Japanese power and ‘appreciation”.

For years, the Koreans were suppressed by Japanese rule. People continued to protest, by

refusing to speak Japanese or refusing the practice. Korea and China banded together in the

1930’s to fight back with guerilla warfare, attempting to get rid of the Japanese rule (Blakemore,

2018). Japan and its imperialist government dominated over Korea for 35 years. In World War

II, the rule came to a halt. The United States of America dropped two nuclear bombs on

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and made the Japanese a weak and vulnerable force. After WWII, the

United States and the Soviet Union captured the Korean peninsula. Upon this, the Korean war

broke out and Japanese rule was abolished. This was not before completely destroying Korean

culture, religion and its way of life. Korean people were oppressed to the point where there past

lives did not exist. This is because Japan replaced Korean culture, language, religions, practice,

and tradition. As a whole, Korean culture has yet to rebound, especially in the North who “do not

have a culture” anymore. Having this loss of culture devastated the people, disconnecting from

society. People yearned for a sense of belonging, something to follow, something to cherish.

However, with the severity of the oppressive rule, people began to lose their way of life. Life in

constant fear lead to extreme anxiety and depression, and the youth developed many things

throughout their youth such as PTSD from internment camps and labour, schizophrenia, and

many other disorders that have been carried out through generations (Amnesty International,

2011). Others would intentionally break laws in camps in order to be executed, or as they viewed

32
it, free from the grip of the government. Korean citizens in camps also attempted to escape,

despite the risk of death. This is because the cruelty they endured paired with the poor mental

well being they constantly endured; death was a small price to pay if they were captured. Overall

the imperialistic rule did not only influence cultural loss, it caused the death of thousands of

people who took their own lives in an attempt to free themselves.

Having this loss of culture has devastated the North Korean people, who instead of being

free, live under a communist and imperial rule. Despite occur such a short time ago, this past of

imperialism has haunted both North and South Korea. However, imperialism influenced the

communist regime that soon adopted the land to form North Korea, and was not the end to the

devastation of culture. A divide between Korea was created during the Cold War and The

Korean War began. After Japan exited after 1945 at the end of World War II, the Soviet Union

and United States entered Korea. The Soviets entered the North, and the Americans entered the

South. North Korea became a communist country, influenced heavily by past Japanese rule and

now the Soviet Union. The war began officially on June 25, 1950 (History, 2009). 75,000 North

Korean troops invaded the South over the 38th parallel (History, 2009). The United States

intervened in an attempt to prevent Communist Soviet Russia from expanding. The violence of

the war lasted three years. The Korean War followed World War II’s Blitzkrieg or Lightning

warfare. Not only this, the war conditions were insanely poor. In hot summer conditions, soldiers

had to drink from rice paddies infested with human waste (History 2009). This caused

widespread disease and death. Soldiers and civilians were ravaged by death and violence, with

various bombings and assaults by the land and air. Tanks and airships were once again main

players in the war. North Korea was well prepared for the war, having been disciplined, well

trained, and equipped for this conflict. The soldiers were battle hardened, and had little fear

33
initially. The North had such a strong military force that they were able to push beyond the 38th

parallel into South Korea (Veterans Affairs Canada, 2019). Communist North pressed hard,

assaulting much of South Korea causing millions of casualties. North Korea later received

support from the communist Chinese government and Mao Zedong in the form of troops (Yufan,

1990). This proved to be a great asset to North Korea, providing them with ample support to hold

their territory. It would prove to take two years to eventually reach an armistice in 1953 to end

the violence. Cities were destroyed, civilians murdered, and countless lives lost during the

Blitzkrieg. The war did not last long, but was devastating. There were nearly 5 million casualties,

over half being civilians (History, 2009). Many of these civilians were killed during action,

although a large number took their own lives. The war and violence caused lives filled with

hellish realities of death and destruction. Many of families and youth took their own lives during

the warfare to avoid capture. Internment camps continued to be a threat against the people,

causing people and youth to develop insanely unhealthy mental illnesses. Children born in these

camps knew nothing but hell. Once again, the youth born in or taken into the camps were left to

either work for a cause they despised, attempt an escape and risk death, or directly take their own

lives. This period of time was riddled with mental health complications and suicide, and marks

the beginning of communism to continue these evil ways in North Korea.

In modern day, there continues to be a problem for the youth of North Korea. Youth in

the country are not receiving adequate nourishment. In fact, the United Nations and the World

Food Program reports show that between 2-3 million North Korean youth are malnourished

(Carter, 2019). This malnourishment causes stunted growth, both physically and mentally.

Having this stunted mental development makes the youth much more susceptible to mental

illness, especially living in the poor conditions that they have with near constant hunger and

34
poverty. Many of these youth have never had parents in their lives, and lack a proper parental

figure (Carter, 2019). Mental health in North Korea, especially in the youth as a result of this, is

extremely poor. Some of the youth suffering do not understand the situation they are in because

of how poor their mental structure has become (Carter, 2019). They worship the Supreme

Leader, regardless of how poorly they are treated by the government (Carter, 2019). The issue

with the malnourishment is obviously the impact it has on the youth. It makes the rest of their

lives a difficult one to handle, having constantly lived with mental health complications. Not

only this, the lack of proper mental health makes it nearly impossible for these youth to ever

fight back against the regime. They cannot see the atrocities being forced unto them, and only

recognize the Supreme Leader for the great things that come their way. It is disastrous that the

people and youth of North Korea live in such evil, and do not even have the mental capability to

recognize it.

The way that these issues can be solved is by the complete abolishment of internment

camps, the aid of youth in the country, and the resistance against the regime. Many of this cannot

be done by North Korean citizens. Shutting down operational internment camps can be done by

organizations such as the United Nations, recruiting various countries to fight against the cause.

Showing the clear violation of human rights is essential to doing this. In terms of aiding the

youth, progressive steps are already being taken. The First Steps Program, led by Susan Ritchie,

has led several trips to North Korea (Carter, 2019). They fund and bring down resources such as

soybeans and Sprinkles to nourish the youth. The soybeans allow the people to create soy milk

using machines to manually produce milk, and are able to be powered by the burning of

resources at the people’s disposal. Sprinkles are a packet of nourishing micronutrients that were

developed at Sick Kids in Toronto (Carter, 2019). The youth can add a packet of Sprinkles to a

35
meal once a week in order to be properly nourished and avoid the physical and mental stunting

that currently oversees the nation. With these things accomplished, the North Korean people will

be able to resist the regime. Having the people free, nourished and educated will inspire them to

unite and overthrow the communist regime that is causing them so much pain and death. With

international support, this feat can eventually be accomplished and the North Korean population

can live a life with better mental health and living conditions, to attribute to less suicide and

death in the nation (Carter, 2019).

Guyana:

Guyana, named after Guiana meaning land of water, is a country located along the

northeastern coast of South America. The population is approximately 785,400 with a growth

rate of 0.55% and a territorial mass of 214,969 km² (World Bank, 2019). This yields a density of

roughly 3.66 people per square kilometer. It is a mainly rural country, with most of its exports

coming from agriculture and minerals such as gold. Guyana has a GDP per capita of 4,725

dollars as of 2017, and is a poor to middle income country (World Population, 2019). Considered

a developing country, Guyana’s resource production is helping guide it to becoming a developed

country, although it has a long journey ahead to reach such a status.

Guyana was first colonized by the Dutch in the late 1500’s, despite the Aboriginal

presence on the land (Audiopedia, 2015). In 1580, the first Dutch settlement had been made

(Guyana, 2016). By the middle of the 17th century, around the time of 1620, the Dutch people

began establishing armed bases and began shipping slaves to the settlements in Guyana

(Audiopedia, 2015). The slave trade continued for the Dutch people, enslaving Aboriginals and

importing slaves from Africa (The Commonwealth, 2019). These slaves suffered abuse, tortures

and excruciating work, many of these slaves young because they had well abled bodies to

36
perform more efficiently (Guyana, 2016). Mental disorders were common in these slaves, facing

PTSD and depression and in some cases suicide (Penson, 1926). However, in the 18 th century,

the British took possession of Guyana and its settlements, and it became a Crown colony in 1831

(Penson, 1926). The slave trade continued until it was abolished in 1834, leaving the slaves to

form their own urban areas after leaving plantations. In 1879, gold was discovered in Guyana

and began the first excavations to Guyana’s mineral exports (Discovery UK, 2018). In the late

1800’s, Venezuela and Guyana began to undergo conflict over land, fighting over territorial

expansion (Guyana, 2016). After being ruled by the British for well over a century, Guyana was

granted independence in 1966 (Britannica, 2019). 12 years after their foundation as an

independent nation, Guyana was victim to a mass suicide of 900 people (History, 2019). A man

named Jim Jones was the founder of the Peoples Temple, a Christian sect in Indianapolis (Today,

2017). He preached against racism, and gained the support of many African American people.

After being accused of fraud and abuse in the 1970’s, Jones led himself and his supporters into

Guyana to resettle (History, 2019). He forced his followers into work in the fields of what is now

known as Jonestown. In his poor, drug addicted mental state, Jones was convinced the United

States was seeking to destroy his practice and ordered mock suicide drills in the night (PBS,

2007). After former Temple members convinced a congressman to investigate the issue, Jones

began to become anxious. He murdered the congressman and his guards, and ordered the people

to ingest a mixture of cyanide and various sedatives (PBS, 2007). Many drank willingly, others

were forced to do so at gunpoint or were injected with syringes (PBS, 2007). Over a third of the

people to be forced into suicide were youth and children (PBS, 2007). Guyana officials

discovered the massacre, with the 909 corpses scattered over the land. This incidence marked

one of the first instances of suicide recognized suicide that the country would have, ultimately

37
leading to being the country with the highest suicide rate in the world. Built on a history of

slavery, a time where many young slaves took their own lives, Guyana is a country built on the

principle of poor mental health and suicide.

Guyana and its history of mental illness and suicide have modeled that statistics that the

nation bears today. The WHO concluded in a study from 2019 that in 2012, Guyana has a suicide

rate of 44.2 per 100,000 people, much higher than the average at 16. In Guyana, a majority of

these suicide are youth, as the median age for the country is 24.9 years and a majority of the

suicides are committed by people aged 15-24 (WHO, 2019). Many of these suicides are related

to mental health issues, as the ancestors of future generations were slaves who bore the same

illnesses. Mental illness is easily passed along through genetics, and will make youth even more

vulnerable if a parent has experienced mental illness. Guyana’s foundation of slavery, poor

mental health and mass suicide all contribute to the mental health of its youth today. The

epidemic in Guyana is detrimental to society, as its current and future workers to carry on the

economy, society and population in Guyana are committing suicide due to mental health

complications at a greater rate than any other country despite their low population. The issue is

that citizens in Guyana do not have the greatest healthcare program, as the nation only funds

4.88% of its GDP to its health care and is ranked 128 th of 190 (Pacific Prime, 2019). With a poor

healthcare system, Guyana is unable to provide the proper care for its ever-growing population

of mentally afflicted youth. Even if youth receive care, it is no where near what they need if the

disorder is slightly severe. Technological advancements used to diagnose, procedures to help

cope, etc. are unavailable due to a lack of funds and a poor overall system. Not only this, if a

youth were to attempt to take their own life, ambulance response time is excruciatingly long if it

ever arrives based on hospital distribution to only the main cities in Guyana. The other

38
complication is the ability to afford healthcare. With Guyana’s low GDP per capita, many

residents are unable to afford proper healthcare in order to treat mental health complications.

Having the inability to afford healthcare only makes the disorder worse, and increasing the

opportunity for the mental illness to be passed on in Guyana’s growing population.

Statistically, mental health can be easily explained in Guyana. However, in relation to

culture, mental health and suicide are explained much differently. Despite the practice of

religions such as Christianity and Islam, Guyana has a very spiritual culture, prominently in rural

areas, and it is heavily connected to the belief in ancestral spirits and forms of witchcraft (Study

Country, 2019). In areas of Guyana, mental health is misunderstood. It is perceived as evil spirits

that possess a person instead of a clinical illness. They perform cleanses, herbal extractions, and

various other rituals that root from African culture in an attempt to remove the spirit and cleanse

the person (Edwards, 1982). These rituals have been practiced for centuries, and were brought

over from African slaves during the slave trade (Guyana, 2016). It is something that has existed

in the culture since the first settlers arrived, and is still being carried out today (CNN, 2017).

However, this is not a positive cultural implementation for the people of Guyana because they

are preventing themselves from receiving proper care based on spiritual connections instead of

medical professionals. Culturally, mental health is misunderstood and this contributes to the

increased suicide rate because youth are not reaching out as they believe they have been

cleansed, yet still face the complication of the disorder.

There are solutions to Guyana’s current situation, with the first steps to improve the

healthcare system (WHO, 2017). Expanding the reach of the healthcare system outside of the

main cities is the first thing that needs to be done, to ensure all people of the country are able to

access the care and in order for ambulances to be able to reach injured or dying youth that have

39
attempted suicide in time. This would also allow for people who can afford the healthcare

suffering from mental illness to finally access treatments, helping the youth cope (WHO, 2017).

It will also be beneficial for the youth in the future, as they will be able to aid their family and

recognize what to do in order to properly treat a mental disorder. Increasing funding into the

healthcare system is another step to be taken. This will improve the technological advancements

of Guyana’s medical capabilities, and they will be able to develop greater solutions and methods

for treatment programs. They will also be able to purchase more prescription drugs, and in turn

will be able to fund more money to helping the youth of their country. Lastly, the expansion of

the healthcare will help to elimination the cultural misconception of mental illness. Making

mental health publicly aware through the expanded reach of the healthcare system as well as

advertisements will bring an understanding of mental health to the people. It will limit the

reliance on cultural methods, but will not eliminate them by any means. Cleansing rituals may

still be performed, but the expansion of healthcare will ensure that the cleansing rituals are not

the only source of care that the youth suffering from mental health need.

All of these solutions to the mental health issue in Guyana will in turn decrease the

suicide rate. People will have a way to reach medications to stop themselves from losing control

of their own mind, while still maintaining a cultural aspect of life. Ambulance time will no

longer be a concern, and the chance of youth surviving attempted suicides will increase

dramatically. Not only that, with increased funding to the healthcare system, people will begin to

understand their situation and will have something to rely on instead of looking for suicide as a

means of spiritual release. Expanding the range of the healthcare allows for a decreased suicide

rate with preservation (WHO, 2017).

40
Canada:

Canada, a name originating from the Iroquois language. Derived from the word ‘kanata’,

it means land or village (Natural Resources of Canada, 2016). This North American country has

a land mass of 9.985 million square kilometers, and a population of roughly 37 million (StatCan,

2018). Canada’s yearly growth rate sits at 0.9, with a density of four people per kilometer and an

82.5 percent urbanization rate (World Population, 2019). Paired with this Canada has a life

expectancy of 82 years due to urban advancements in living conditions and medical care, and a

gross domestic product per capita of approximately 51,000 dollars in 2017 (Trading Economics,

2019). Canada has the largest natural fresh water systems in the world, as well as one of the

highest qualities of life. These collective statistics allow Canada to be defined as a developed

country. The term “developed country” is very subjective and personalized, but pertains to

countries with advanced infrastructure, high per capita income, high quality of life and cultivated

industrialization. All of this was achieved in Canada, built on the foundation of democracy when

Confederation was signed in 1867.

Despite being a developed country, Canada is still prone to and in fact riddled with cases

of mental health and suicide in youth nation wide. Approximately one in five youth in Canada

are victim to mental health issues and less than twenty percent of these youth receive the care

they need (MHCC, 2019). These means that hundreds of thousands, even millions of children in

Canada are suffering everyday, fighting the everlasting battle against themselves. People of

Canada take advantage of the ability to call the country successful, to call it developed, to say it

provides a quality of life. Numbers and statistics are something that run the minds of these

people, and the high results seem to already satisfy the majority of the population. So, what

about the minority? The collective, suffering within the borders of the place so many calls free?

Can the land of the free truly be called so if its youth are prisoner to their own minds?

41
 To fully understand the current epidemic that is mental health and suicide in youth and

how it devastates Canada, one must first understand the nation and its history. The foundation of

this very land is built on violence, devastation and death. This began when the first settlers

arrived in 1534 to claim land for in pursuit of resources (Government of Canada, 2015). Leading

these first settlers was Jacques Cartier, a French explorer under the lead of King Francis I

(Government of Canada, 2015). Thus, began the development of New France. European settlers

left their homes to settle in this new land rich with potential. However, there were already a

people settled in Canada called the Aboriginals. The Europeans invaded their world, bringing

along with them the English language and the ideologies of Christianity (StatCan, 2015). During

the time of the fur trade, Europeans traded with Aboriginals for herbs and land (Canada’s

History, 2019). Eventually, the settlers began to take control. Those who resisted were

massacred, and wars were slaughters of mass populations. Scalping, rapes, murders, torture, and

so on. These are a few of the things endured by both the European and Aboriginal populations.

The Metis, or European-Aboriginal people, were among these groups. Despite being half

European descent, they too were forced into European life. The most well-known incident that

marked the beginning of the fall of the Metis was the hanging of Louis Riel, the Metis political

leader (Heritage Minutes, 1991). Ultimately, the European people colonized Canada by forcing

themselves onto the land and causing mass destruction of religion, spirituality, culture and

populations. These actions destroyed people, and future generations that still feel the

implications today. Youth from generation to generation feel the lack of culture and livelihood as

their parents only knew of the destruction of the European control. In recent history, one of the

most disastrous influences was residential schools. This involved the removal of Aboriginal

children from their families, and the assimilation into modern society (Canadian Encyclopedia,

42
2012). These kids were forced to cease any and all practice that somewhat resembled Aboriginal

culture. English was enforced, and traditional languages were forbidden (Annett, 2006). They

were educated on Christianity and how the European influenced society worked in order for the

children to efficiently assimilate. If they refused, they were punished by isolation, abuse and in

some cases death (Annett, 2006). Children were starved, dying of lack of nourishment. Those

who survived were traumatized, becoming shells of human beings in a world that they do not

believe in. Events from residential schools are still felt today, from family suicides to a complete

lack of parental figures in modern day youth because these parents never had one themselves

(Annett, 2006). Mental health and suicide have shadowed Canada’s entire formation and history

through war and destruction of humanity.

Flash forward to modern day. It is 2019, Canada is ranked one of the countries with the

highest qualities of life. The question remains: why are youth suffering so much from mental

health, and why is suicide a common theme in youth population? Many of Canada’s youth live-

in well-developed areas, with excellent access to resources and items to ensure a great way of

life. However, many youths are still suffering regardless of the conditions due to other influences

such as the media, conflict during formative years, and so on. The problem with this is the

impact it has on Canadian youth. With so few receiving proper care, the impact of the mental

health intensifies (MHCC, 2019). People of Canada’s education system, workforce and everyday

society are those being impacted. The way Canada’s society can function is based on the people

within said society, and it makes it much more difficult to function when members who have the

role of leading it in the future are unable to properly coincide with it. Overall grades plummet,

decreasing Canada’s average IQ and educational prowess (CMHA, 2019). People lose their jobs,

resulting in less jobs and a significantly smaller overall GDP and GDP per capita. These two

43
statistics are two things people in Canada pride themselves over, factors that heavily contribute

to quality of life. So many youths that make up Canada’s future foundation struggle within these

parameters, how can the nation be satisfied?

There is certainly a role that Canada and its officials must play in order for the youth of

Canada to continue to thrive and carry on the high quality of life. The role played is quite

significant, but not out of reach. It consists of expanding the range of healthcare, making it

available to everyone because despite free healthcare, it is evident that less than 20% of the

youth receive it (MHCC, 2019). Having professionals consult with youth, suiting their own

individual needs based on the situation, is what needs to be done in order for youth to recover

and cope. People do not live in a cookie cutter world; everyone is unique, and it is something that

all people are aware of. Therefore, disorders of the mind cannot be treated with cookie cutter

processes. Each individual cope differently, each individual has a different reaction to different

environments, and no mental illness is the same regardless of the name that it bears. Not only

this, Canada needs to make time for these young persons. Many wait extensive periods of time

for a screening or diagnosis that comes back inconclusive or blatantly wrong. Scheduling these

appointments proves to be a difficult task for a large portion of the population, of around 29%

(StatCan, 2019). Canada plays a role in making this understood, to stop denying the youth of the

nation proper care that they so desperately need and to start providing in time to those who reach

out. When they do not receive the care they require, in drastic cases the youth turn to suicide.

Some even overdose on the very medication meant to be a means of treatment. 11 people die

each day from suicide, many of these youth who at the highest risk to be committing suicide

(YMHC, 2019). This is not because these youth no longer want to live. It is because these youth

no longer want to live lives full of pain. Thousands of people commit suicide across Canada

44
every year, and it is the 9th leading cause of death in Canada. Approximately 5,800 people

commit suicide annually, most being youth (StatCan, 2017). This has increased dramatically

from 3,900 people in 2009 (StatCan, 2017). Despite the presented statistics, it cannot be looked

at as a number. The number of suicides in Canada is at 5,800 too many. Thousands of families,

stripped of a loved one, a child, because they could not bear the weight of life for one more

moment. They could not find help, regardless of how hard they search. Aid was denied or

delayed because they were told that nothing was wrong or that they had to wait until their next

appointment. Time is the ultimate factor leading towards suicide in youth, because the nation

keeps consuming their time until their clock finally halts its ticking.

Ultimately, Canada needs to stop looking at people as a statistic. The proper healthcare

that is claimed to be provided needs to be provided, and on a timely basis. People influenced by

mental illnesses do not have this time. Providing them with personalized healthcare to fit their

mental health complications is what needs to be done, because with less than 20% of youth

actually showing results, it clearly is not currently (MHCC, 2019). Too many people commit

suicide annually. Resorting to means of self harm and taking one's own life should not be a

statistic, let alone a leading cause of death. By allowing this, Canada is denying people basic

rights to care that are stated in the UDHR (United Nations, 2019). Canada and its role is to aid

the youth suffering, to provide them the care they need, and to stop treating people as a statistic

before they actually become one.

Logic of Evil:

Evil is something that runs the world as every human being knows it. It takes various

forms, whether it be the evil to lie, the evil to steal, or the evil to commit murder. Evil lacks a

concrete definition, but pertains to nearly every action a human being does. What one believes is

45
evil, another might perceive to be virtuous. In every situation, there is a good and an evil. It is up

to humanity and the human race to decide which is good, and which is the evil. According to

Oxford Dictionary, evil is defined as “profoundly immoral and wicked.” Behind every source of

evil, there is logic. Lies can be rationalized as a way to defend one’s actions. Stealing can be

logically seen as a way to simply continue in life due to a lack of money. Murder can be justified

as an act of self preservation or an act to prevent events in the future. Regardless of the severity

of the issue, there is a reason as to why each act has been committed. The logic of evil gives evil

its purpose.

Mental health and suicide in youth is an evil entity. It presents nothing but pain for

everyone who endures it or bears witness to it. The issue itself presents its own logic of evil, and

is displayed through the way mental illness facilitates evil actions. Due to the way that mental

disorders control the mind, each young person with a mental illness is subject to the evil of the

disorder. Mental disorders exist simply through evolution and adaptation, triggered by certain

events that the mind cannot properly adapt to or they are passed on through genetics. Mental

disorder can technically be considered a mutation of the mind, where something occurs to alter

the control of the mind from the person to the evil. Essentially, the mind is ripped from its

possessor and is tossed into a well of darkness, where there is no light to be seen. Evil in relation

to a mental illness is different than most kinds of evil. In a sense, the mental illness constructs the

logic of evil itself, resulting in evil actions that the mind perceives to be acts of good.

At the root of the logic of this evil is the disorder. When acts of evil are committed, the

mind is the one to blame. Thought process is scattered and jumbled, and thoughts are poisoned

with the logic of the disorder. Mental illnesses persuade the victim that what they are doing is

logical, justifiable, and good. A common example of these evil actions is a school shooting. A

46
blatant act of terror, often committed by people who are victim of mental trauma. A recent

example is the Parkland shooting in Florida. Nikolas Cruz, an American citizen, took up arms

and open fired at Stoneman Douglas high school on February 14 th, 2018 (CBS, 2018). 17

students and teachers were killed in the shooting, and the event quickly hit headlines across the

continent (CBS, 2018). People were devastated, and outraged at the action that Cruz has taken.

However, after research was conducted, it was determined that 20-year-old Nikolas Cruz had

been suffering from mental complications from a very young age (Peterson, 2016). Cruz and his

brother were adopted when he was two years old, and was diagnosed as “developmentally

delayed.” (WJLA, 2019). He was reported to have made threats against himself and others in

2016, and was referred to professional help due to the incident after officer Scot Peterson used

the Baker Act to refer him to officials (Peterson, 2016). The Baker Act allows mental health

officials and institutions to hold patients for up to 72 hours for counselling. However, Cruz was

declined as he did not meet ‘criteria’ for mental illness, and was simply given instructions on

how to cope with things more efficiently. Cruz continued to show signs of mental disorder, as

stated by Stoneman Douglas guidance counsellors,

“Records show a Stoneman Douglas guidance counselor called Henderson Behavioral

Health two days in a row -- on September 28 and 29, 2016 -- due to a report from a peer

counselor that Cruz drank gasoline, had suicidal thoughts and said he had a gun and was

thinking about using it.”

Officials rendered Cruz’s threats as attempts for attention, and that there was no malicious intent

behind the comments. Guidance counsellors continued to express their concern for Cruz’s mental

well being, but the end result was constantly the same, and concluded Cruz was not mentally ill.

Cruz has already showed signs of other disorders, and was on two types of medication for

47
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as has developmental disorder autism. These two

factors alone suggest Cruz to be susceptible to mental illness. Other notes describe Cru to have

episodic mood disorder, oppositional defiance disorder and a history of aggression. Despite all of

these warning signs and attempts for help, Cruz was denied treatment as the healthcare system

refused to acknowledge he had mental illness. On February 14 th, 2018, the people who were

concerned about Cruz were proved to be right after he took the lives of 17 people. It was then

discovered that Cruz found his adoptive father dead in 2004, and had anger issues ever since. He

had been suspended and expelled for erratic and violent behaviour, and was bullied by his

family. Ultimately, Cruz’s ADHD combined with his depression resulted in all of these warning

signs, and proved to be the guiding principle in the way Cruz formulated his plan to attack the

school.

Throughout history, mental illness has been prevalent in acts of terror. Adolf Hitler, The

Huns, Joseph Stalin, Nero, Genghis Khan, are just a few of the people who did many evil things

throughout the course of history that are speculated to have had mental illnesses. Each person or

group had a troubled and traumatic past, and went on to have committed or oversaw mass

murder, violent and inhumane acts of mutilation, and or suicide. People are still committing acts

similar to this, such as Brenton Tarrant, the shooter at Christchurch in New Zealand (StreamRift,

2019). In the livestream, it is clearly seen by his behaviour and action that Tarrant is suffering

from mental complications, and are a factor contributing to the evil act that took the lives of 50

people (StreamRift, 2019). Recent acts of terrorism all display people suffering from mental

illness behind the mask of weapons. In many instances, the perpetrators commit suicide after the

event. These events are clear indicators that the logic of evil in relation to mental illness and

48
suicide in youth is not so much a logic. Instead, it is an ideology of evil inspired by the mental

illness to commit evil acts and acts of suicide.

Many people facilitate with people with mental illnesses who commit crimes, saying that

the government and nation failed the accused. They justify the action of the person as an act of a

loss of control, not an act of evil. Some understand the way the mental illness takes control of the

mind, and can empathize for these people who have seen violence as the only way to

communicate their point efficiently. These people who empathize make up a small portion of the

population, but they are the ones who are able to understand why and how the mind manipulated

the person to break the law. People with schizophrenia witness hallucinations that communicate

with them, persuading them to do things by building trust or by constant harassment to the point

where the person breaks and loses what grip they had over themselves. Imagine waking up every

morning, to a silhouette perched on the edge of your bed. The looming shadow speaks, and its

voice drowns out the world around you. “Do it. End your suffering. Take revenge on those who

have hurt you your entire life.” Messages such as this one in situations similar to this, where

fears or figures in a victim’s life persuade them to commit crimes are common in people with

illnesses. The voices command their very being. Being pierced by these words each and every

day from voices within would eventually make any person break, especially those who are

already broken down. Select people are able to understand why one would commit such acts, or

take their own life to free themselves.

In terms of government, they do not support the evil of mental illness. In fact, many have

made it illegal or shameful. Canada decriminalized suicide in 1972, but other countries have yet

to do so (Canadian Encyclopedia, 2019). The very suggestion of making mental health and

suicide something illegal or shameful to society seems absurd. Yet, that is precisely what the

49
government has done by making suicide illegal. By denying youth help and denying them the

only way out they can see, the government essentially traps the youth in their own minds. Having

painted suicide as a horrible thing, something shameful, selfish, is something that is in the

thoughts of many who contemplate suicide. Thinking of others often keeps most in the world to

begin with. However, if suicide is illegal, then healthcare for the mentally ill should be provided

with no exception. The government and its country must provide a solution to the one they deny.

Even in countries like Canada where suicide has been decriminalized, providing healthcare to the

mentally ill should be a requirement, especially the country’s youth. By denying it, they are

supporting the ideology that mental illness is evil and that little can be done to change that, or it

can only be helped in specific cases. These suggestions of portraying people with mental

disorders as evil seems ridiculous, outlandish, barbaric even. By not providing to mentally ill

people regardless of their circumstance, the government and its country supports these claims

whether it be indirectly or directly. Overall, many countries and governments do not facilitate

with the evil of mental illness, but in order to end the evil it is something they must all learn to

do.

Political Influence:

Politics is something that exists in every place in the world. Every governed area has

been influenced by politics. Politics is defined as the activities associated with the governance of

a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or

hoping to achieve power. It consists of a variety of constructs such as government, human rights

and economics. Ultimately, politics is something that plays a role in every aspect of human life,

regardless of the level of involvement.

50
 Politically, mental health and suicide in youth is a current issue of concern in relation to

government and human rights. The government of countries have great responsibility to play in

the steps towards solving this global issue, and also play a role in how the issue still currently

exists. The most influential influence of politics and the government is by the ability to apply

healthcare. Political leaders and party leaders have the ability and influence to implement

healthcare programs, and it is one of the biggest roles that politics plays. Not only this, reducing

the stigma around mental health and making it easy for youth to communicate about mental

health and suicide related to it is vital to making any progress towards solution. According to Jim

Harris,

“The key to supporting youth struggling with mental health is to reduce stigma, increase

access to services and ensure that efforts are designed to meet the unique needs of youth.

Services must be easily accessible and delivered in a way that works for youth. Ie online,

text, apps and face to face – available at the school.”

Implementing such programs require government action, and the branch of the

government that oversees such issues is dependant on the type of government. For example, in

Canada, the provincial government would have authority over programs implemented into

specific provinces whereas the healthcare provided would be the jurisdiction of the federal

government. Ultimately, it is the authority of the government to implement these types of

communication in areas such as guidance, continuing to build on the foundation to help eliminate

the stigma as well as to provide for the youth of the nation. The way that governments apply

these strategies is very influential towards the number of struggling youths in the country.

Developed nations such as Canada and Japan have been seen taking strides towards helping the

issue, expanding healthcare programs and making the talk of mental health more acceptable in

51
youth populations. As a result, suicide rates have started to decrease and mental health is

becoming supported instead of shunned. However, developing nations like Guyana and North

Korea have yet to make these strides. They have little focus on mental health and suicide, with

little access across the nation and to many youths, no access at all. Evidently, these developing

nations have high suicide rates, a large number of mentally troubled youth, and very poor quality

of life. The way the developing nations treat the population also shows an evident influence on

an influx of suicides. North Korea and the communist rule destroy youth, and Guyana has little

efforts to aid them. The difference between the types of countries making change and those

allowing the issue to fester is the government action. Countries taking action, making mental

illness a priority, are seeing positive results in youth reflected in care results and suicide rates.

Those who have governments that have yet to take action reflect the effort level, clearly seen

amongst statistics and development. Ultimately, the government and its political influence are

key players in the way mental health and suicide in youth presents itself within a country and its

borders.

Mental health and suicide in youth are often applied to the human rights that all nations

set forward, and in all places of the world are violated. Human rights are laws and ideals that

every human being is entitled to without having these rights broken or denied. Politically, human

rights are of great importance and apply to nearly every issue, especially current issues such as

the humanitarian crisis in Honduras. Political prisoners are being incarcerated, and political

officials have been responsible to take action against this issue by request of a large number of

Canadian citizens with connection to prisoners. The fight against the issue is internationally

supported, and officials are working to put an end to it soon. So, if the violation of human rights

is such an awful thing to so many people, why have few people taken such action towards the

52
issue of mental health and suicide in youth? Of the 30 articles set forward by the United Nations,

many are in violation when youth simply live lives with no aid to the mental illness they possess.

The denial of human rights seems absurd and inhumane, yet they are constantly violated

in the daily life of youth suffering with mental illness who are denied or not given care. Article

one of the UDHR states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights

(United Nations, 2019). They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards

one another in a spirit of brotherhood. However, youth populations are not all born free with

conscience, and people who do not suffer from mental illness categorize youth with mental

health as “negative” or “crazy”, deciding their opinion on the youth before even meeting them as

they do not have a fully functional conscience to help them throughout life as those who do not

suffer from mental disorders do. This is the very first article set, and it is violated unconsciously

every single day. Youth bombarded with mental illness are slave to their own devices that they

do not possess control of and do not receive the care required for them to live and adequate life

(MHCC, 2019). This violated articles 4 and 21, no one shall be held in slavery or servitude;

slavery and the slave trade ‘shall be prohibited in all their forms’, and everyone has the right to a

standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including

food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security

in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of

livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special

care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social

protection (United Nations, 2019). Yet, youth do not enjoy these human rights. Allowing the

mental disorder to enslave the mind of the youth is denying the freedom they require to flourish,

and denying not humans, but youth, proper care, violates both sections of article 21 (United

53
Nations, 2019). And lastly, when youth commit suicide, they are denied every single article. The

youth is pushed to the point where life and the society guiding them is not something they can

bear. This weight, the weight of being human, is not something that can be denied. However, it is

every time a youth takes their own life. Overall, these articles that are taken seriously and found

to be the fundamentals are denied to youth each day. The political influence allowing this to

occur is what presents mental illness from becoming the past, and allows it to thrive in the

present.

Religious Influence:

Religion is a broad definition, covering countless ideologies such as Christianity,

Buddhism, etc. Defined as a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs,

and practices (Merriam Webster, 2019), religion takes on a variety of forms. Religion also has a

very influential grip on the world, with billions of people following various beliefs. Religion has

caused war, ended war, united, divided, destroyed and created. The power and influence of

religion is limitless, and will likely be until the fall of mankind itself.

In religion, there are various types of beliefs. People believe in multiple gods, a single

god, spirits, animals, etc. In relation to mental health, the influence of religion is seen through

restrictions of practice as well as spiritual ideologies. This means that there are things or laws in

religion that are restricted, or a punishment will result as well as fundamentals in relation to

spirits and possession that correlate with mental health and suicide in youth. Each aspect has its

own influence on how youth practicing religions of these ideologies are able to flourish and

survive.

In many religions, there are immoral acts classified as sins. These sins are things that

cannot be committed, and will result in punishment if they are. Sins are prevalent in Christianity,

54
Judaism and Islam, the two largest religions in the world (World Atlas, 2019). These three

religions are very similar, being monotheistic, meaning they worship one god. Within these

monotheistic religions are sacred texts that outline the fundamentals of life. In Christianity this

text is the Bible, in Judaism it is the Torah and in Islam it is the Quran. These texts construct the

fundamental views of life for the followers of the religion. For many, it is a guide. However, it

can be stressful because if a sin is committed, it is up to the word of God to forgive them. “Then

I confessed my sins to you; I did not conceal my wrongdoings. I decided to confess them to you,

and you forgave all my sins.” (Psalm 32:5). As a young person heavily involved in religion, the

thought of being denied something that their entire life is guided by can be traumatizing. It

produces unnecessary stress, formulating into disorders in the near future. These disorders

developed early in life will intensify as stress continues to build. Religions offer confession to

repent for sins, such as Christianity. However, in all of these monotheistic religions, suicide is

painted as sinful and against one’s path to God. In Catholicism and Islam especially, suicide is

viewed as a grave and mortal sin (Muslim Public Affairs Council, 2019). Other religions such as

Hinduism follow similar beliefs, where suicide is viewed as sinful as committing murder

(MPAC, 2019). The restriction on suicide through sin allows people to live their lives as long as

naturally possible, without disrupting the path of life to God’s side. However, with little

recognition of mental illness in practices, it makes it difficult for youth who practice religion to

develop in society. Their religion does not promote mental disorder, and has no viable solutions

for the issue (MPAC, 2019). The prevention of suicide to the youth who contemplate taking their

own lives only adds to the burden of the disorder on their lives. Constant suicidal thought due to

mental illness such as depression can be concerning for youth, and hard to admit to religious

figures because of how sinful the act is viewed as. The religious views add pressure and stress to

55
the already troubled youth, intensifying the influence of the mental disorder. Ultimately, the

stress of sins guiding youth to a principle goal at the end of life can cause development of mental

disorders early in life, especially on the intensity to which those ideals are enforced by family

and religious groups. The prevention of suicide also builds to the influence of mental health in

youth, trapping the youth in a place where there is no way to communicate their pain.

Stepping back from monotheistic influence, spiritual religions that believe in more than

one god or entities also play a role in how mental health and suicide influences youth. These

types of religions are prevalent in developing countries, where major monotheistic religions do

not have a superior influence on the population. Places where spiritual religions exist encompass

villages in areas such as the Amazon, Guyana, African countries (Britannica, 2019), and other

countries similar in development and location where the reaches of monotheistic religion have

yet to be introduced to such as small villages. These spiritual religions have the ideology of

spirits of good and evil that possess beings, objects, etc. Others include multiple gods that are

believed to have an influence on human behaviour (Polytheism, 2002). Having this belief

portrays youth with mental illness as people possessed by spirits and or evil gods. The

complication with this is the way that this influences treatment processes. Trepanning is an

example one of these unethical and medically unorthodox methods that people develop in an

attempt to remove the evil from the person, despite its decreased presence (Live Science, 2018).

Other religions perform cleansing rituals such as salt cleansings or dances that rid the soul of

evil. The issue with these methods is the fact that from a factual standpoint, the rituals do not

have any medical benefits to the youth. Growing up in a developing country, combined with

these less than adequate treatments, mental health is almost guaranteed to play a role in a young

person whether it be due to malnourishment related disorders, depression, PTSD, etc. (WHO,

56
2008). Having rituals as a single solution to release spirits in a mind plagued by more than

simply an evil spirit or god is detrimental to the youth. Their disorder will only worsen, many

times to the point of suicide. This is a partial contribution to why developing countries have

higher suicide rates than those of first world countries.

As one of the most influential aspects of human life, religion has the potential to

positively influence mental health and suicide in youth. However, with current restrictions on

way of life influencing decision and consequence and spiritual rituals being relied on as means of

treatment, it is not being used to its full potential to reach this positive influence.

Solutions:

Mental health and suicide in youth is a growing issue. It is being combatted yet continues

to grow every single day. Organizations like the WHO, NIMH, MHCC, and CMHA are working

towards solving the issue with various projects such as the Mental Health Atlas project and

implemented policies, but these are not enough to solve the issue. It is one of the most

complicated global issues, due to the intricate cause and effect of mental disorders. Preventing

suicide is also a difficult task, because it is not always easy to identify the severity of a mental

disorder. Thoughts cannot be seen by other people, and make it very difficult to know how and

when to help. In terms of solutions for mental health and suicide, there are short-term and long-

term solutions. These short-term solutions pertain to solutions that will provide temporary relief,

and can be formulated in a short amount of time. Short term solutions are not the answer to the

issue as a whole, but are a point from which the world can start in order to initiate change. Long

term solutions are solutions that can be put into play on a grand scale for long periods of time, or

even permanently. These types of solutions take time to be formulated and require plans of

action, but can be progressed whilst short term solutions are being implemented.

57
 Being able to communicate about mental health complications is one of the first steps

youth must take in order to reduce the stigma and be able to accept themselves and their place in

society (Harris, 2019). Means of short-term solutions that are applicable to this are expanding the

influence of guidance counsellors to the education systems and the workforce. The recruitment

of these people combined advertisements around the world, beginning in each localized area

would help reduce the stigma around mental health. Governments, teachers, officials, other

youth, would aid in formulating posters, announcements, broadcasts, etc. around the everyday

environment of youth to help promote youth. Subconsciously, this will quickly help to make the

youth recognize that society appreciates people with mental illness, and is looking to help instead

of criticize. People with symptoms or confirmed disorders can meet with the newly recruited

officials to begin conversing about mental health to finally eliminate the stigma. Expert opinion

from officials such as Jim Harris, Marta Borges, Samantha Docherty, Kendra Listro, Tracy Poole

and Gregory Taylor all show that processes to remove stigma and make services easily

accessible are required. “Services must be easily accessible and delivered in a way that works for

youth. I.e. online, text, apps and face to face – available at the school.” (Harris, 2019). Not only

this, organizations like the WHO have attempted to reduce the stigma similarly, but do not have

the authority to implement. For example, their Mental Health Atlas project provides international

awareness to attempt to reduce stigma, but is rarely is able to reach youth because of lack of

distributional range. Implementing this strategy would help tremendously in regions such as

Canada and Japan, where the stigma surrounding mental health is high. This solution would

greatly benefit Japan’s population because of the stigma around saving face and protecting

honour. Mental health would no longer be viewed as a negative, but instead something that can

58
be aided. Overall this short term solution of removing the stigma surrounding mental illness is

key to bringing awareness to youth to aid mental health and prevent suicide.

However, this would not provide a permanent solution. Paired with this short-term

solution would be the implementation of therapists into healthcare on a much larger scale,

developing people with extremely specified career paths. This means to provide career

opportunities for therapists to specialize in a single disorder, or even subsections of disorders.

Not only this, but offering education programs in universities specialized on disorders and

treatment, future youth aspiring to aid others could study and develop even more efficient

solutions both medically and promotionally. By providing education programs and promoting

these jobs, an increase of therapists around the globe would lead to a dramatic increase in the

number of youths that can be counselled. In regions similar to North Korea and Guyana, who

lack basic health care provision, implementing globally available education and health care

programs would greatly benefit the countries. Educating the population academically through

university programs and job opportunities would create a greater workforce behind the issue and

ultimately a greater support. In regions such as Canada, this would increase numbers from 10%,

20% of youth receiving proper care (MHCC) to see an extreme increase because the local

availability paired with the now eliminated stigma would allow youth to feel comfortable

consulting with professionals. Not only this, it would help to decrease suicides related to mental

illness because youth would be comfortable and have a view for the future instead of giving up

entirely. Ultimately, the increase in localized therapy through healthcare funding would give

youth the first steps of assistance they need towards improving and being treated properly instead

of being isolated alone.

59
 The final step in this process would be to expand the reaches of healthcare through

extensive funding and construction of hospitals and areas of access in each city in the world.

Constructing this while the stigma is being eliminated and youth become comfortable

communication about the issue will allow for a smooth transition from conversation to

consultation to medication. Having these centres built to apply suggested treatment methods, to

allow for an area for youth to be able to access the resources needed, and to have a place to go in

case of emergency would allow for major progress to be made in the progression of defeating

mental illness. In regions like Guyana and North Korea, this funding would be extremely

beneficial to allow for easily accessible healthcare. As Guyana has extremely poor healthcare

systems with very little to no access in certain regions (Pacific Prime, 2019), healthcare funding

would provide the support that every youth suffering from mental illness requires. Unorthodox

methods such as trepanning practiced by spiritual religions will slowly fade due to the access to

healthcare provided by the nation. By providing to the youth, suicide counts will decrease

dramatically. If attempts are committed, nearby care centres with quick access can respond in

time to save the life of said youth. Expanding the umbrella of healthcare over the entire world in

every area will result in a long-term solution to provide and treat youth for generations to come.

In order to make these solutions successful, the world will have to cooperate with one

another. Nations will need to support each other with funding and trade in order for each country

to receive an adequate number of health centres. The steps will have to be executed efficiently

and taken seriously in order for them to show results, and the whole operation would be

unsuccessful if the stigma around mental health was not uplifted. Also, implementation of

programs into universities must be consulted in order to get proper operation and education.

Cooperation and effort, with support and trade to compensate for funding are essential to

60
allowing these implemented solutions to be successful. Providing these solutions allows the

youth to have a support base and a place to turn to instead of suicide and other extreme actions

affiliated with the logic of evil, providing individuals like Nikolas Cruz with help instead of

ignorance.

Continued operation of organizations such as WHO are also essential to international

awareness and change. The Mental Health Atlas project, a project to educate the world on every

country and their mental health epidemic is a strong foot to set off on in the quest to eventually

have a stigma free world. By updating this project every three years, it provides the world with

progression. Continued projects such as this in all regions of the world contribute a large amount

to the beginning of the end of stigma. Another successful organization is the Mental Health

Commission of Canada. They provide the public with academic articles, projects, and

information about mental illness. The MHCC allows for people to become educated on the topic

of mental health and suicide in youth. The importance of having an educated population cannot

be stressed enough, because education is the only way that the stigma can be finally forgotten.

The continuation of these organizations and the implementation of others in countries that do not

have them is a turning point in public education that absolutely must be reached in order for the

world to ever hope of reaching a mental illness free world. Programs such as the Mental Health

Atlas and the various project laid out by other organizations such as the NIMH are essential to

the solution of this issue.

To this day, mental health projects have been unsuccessful. The only way that results will

begin to show is by removing the stigma. Continued promotion through methods presented by

international organizations benefit the population, but do not apply direct help to the youth.

Youth need communication, a place to talk where they can feel comfortable. This is done by

61
providing the youth with a well advertised outlet in order to communicate with. An example of

this type of project is Kids Help Phone, a Canadian project founded on May 16 th, 1989 (Kids

Help Phone, 2019). Kids Help Phone originated as a phone line that youth could anonymously

call any day, 24/7, 365 days a year (Kids Help Phone, 2019). Since its origination, Kids Help

Phone has developed a Crisis Text Line in order for youth to have text conversation to

communicate their problems, as well as a Live Chat service for face to face consultation (Kids

Help Phone, 2019). Kids Help Phone advertises the project on television, radio and websites in

order to reach as many youth as possible. The project has developed counselling programs at

schools as well as speakers who circulate the education system performing talks to educate about

mental illness and its complications. Counsellors can be called for youth to contact. Youth can

simply call the number, and within seconds be on the line with a counsellor. If they are not

comfortable speaking, the Crisis Text Line at the same contact is available. In recent years, 95%

of youth who called to council said that they would call again for assistance (Kids Help Phone,

2019). 85% of these youth felt less stressed after the counselling, and 78% experienced a

significant removal of distress (Kids Help Phone, 2019). The website received approximately

one million visits, and roughly 194,000 calls were made, totalling 530 calls per day (Kids Help

Phone, 2019). Kids Help Phone has created a safe place for youth to contact across the nation,

and has implemented various strategies to continue to aid the evolving youth with and evolving

epidemic.

The mind is what gives the human race its humanity. The freedom of thought, emotion,

and communication. The international issue of mental health and suicide in youth is an issue that

has impacted youth since the dawn of mankind. Youth from every corner of the world experience

mental health complications, many committing suicide. Factors of the modern world such as

62
media and politics play monumental roles in the influence of mental illness. More youth now are

suffering from mental health than ever before, and international suicide rates are beyond the

acceptable rate of zero. Under no circumstance should youth not receive care, or ever feel that

suicide is the only solution to their problem. The only way that this global issue can be halted is

by utilizing the very reason it exists. The human mind. People and nations from all over the

world uniting is the only way that this global issue can be stopped. The solution to stopping

mental health and suicide in youth is a puzzle. Each and every contribution makes up a piece,

and together, all of the pieces form an image. This image is a world free of mental health.

However, lose a piece of the puzzle that gets swept away leaves an incomplete image with

incomplete solutions. Using the human mind to collaborate and work together is the only way

that the assault on the minds and lives of youth can ever be finally put to rest.

Mental health makes a slave of the mind, enforcing the body of the enslaved to a rule that

it has no jurisdiction over. United, the mind can be free. Divided, the mind drives the body to the

point of self destruction.

63
Appendix

Figures

Figure A1

64
Figure A2

Expert Interviews

Jim Harris

Have you contributed to any projects, programs, etc. for studies on mental health?
I have worked in the mental health and addiction field for over 20 years and during this time
have had the opportunity to participate in the design, implementation and evaluation of a variety
of programs. Some of the most notable are:
• Responsible for the provincial roll out of the BounceBack Program - free service for anyone
15+ experiencing mild to moderate depression and anxiety www.bouncebackontario.ca
• Overseeing the design and implementation of a 24/7 Crisis Line, Crisis Mobile Service and
Community Based Crisis Service
• implementing a variety of supportive housing service for those experiencing mental health and
addictions, ranging from transitional housing, group homes, rent supplements to specialized
housing for those leaving provincial mental health hospitals.

65
• Developing, delivering and evaluating specialized mental health call response training for
police officers. Conducted research with officer’s post training to assess officers perception of
the training and the impact of the training on their response in the line of duty.
• Founding a mental health awareness campaign- Start Talking. Founded the Start Talking Cup-
which promotes the importance of mental health and sport for youth.
• Participating in research with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (title: Explaining
Outcomes) to examine the effectiveness of Intensive Case Management for the seriously
mentally ill.
• Working with Justice System partners to develop regional mental health courts and implement
a court diversion program for individuals whose mental illness has caused them to come into
contact with the law.
• Acting as local lead (mental health coach) for the Talk Today program which is a partnership
between the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario. The
program was designed after the suicide of Saginaw Spirit player Terry Trafford. The program
provides suicide intervention training to all OHL players, coaches staff and billet families. As
well CMHA mental health coaches are assigned to each team to provide support, the Teams
designate a mental health champion and each year have one home game dedicated to raising
mental health awareness.
• Participating in designing, piloting and securing permanent funding for Walk-In Counselling
Clinics for each major community in our area (Barrie, Orillia, Midland, Collingwood)
Below is a bullet list of items:
1. Past Chair of the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (NSM-LHIN)
Crisis Management and Community Resources Steering Committee
2. Member of the NSM-LHIN Coordinating Council
3. Member Simcoe County Child Youth and Family Service Integrated Planning Table &
Council
4. Member Moving on Mental Health Leadership group
5. Member of the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children Board
6. Co- Founder of Simcoe County Mental Health Awareness initiative -Start Talking
7. Assisted the development of Wings of Change peer support program for First Responders
8. Member of the Simcoe Community Services Clients Rights Committee
9. Member of the North Simcoe Health Link
10. Led the development of Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program with Barrie Police
Services

66
11. Member of the Ontario Provincial Police Mental Health Advisory
12. Presenter 2017 Addiction and Mental Health Ontario Conference - Hamilton
13. Expert panel participant 2016 Canadian Homelessness Summit - Toronto
14. Presenter 2015 Waypoint Knowledge Translation in Mental Health & Addictions Conference
15. Trained in Advanced Critical Incident Stress Management
16. Certified Crisis Prevention Institute Senior Level Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Trainer
17. Led introduction of Skills for Safer Living program to Simcoe in partnership with Geormgian
College
18. Past chairperson for the Barrie Chapter of the Alliance to End Homelessness Committee
19. Past Chair of the Child, Youth and Family Services Coalition (CYFSC) Planning Table,
20. Past board member at the Women and Children’s Shelter (Barrie)
21. Past participant on the Simcoe County Access to Permanent Housing Committee, Barrie
Youth Planning Counsel, Network Simcoe, Barrie Dual Diagnosis Committee, Social Assistance
Watch Dog Committee
22. Produced/led several successful proposals for funding including; Housing Resource Centre,
Crisis Services, Mental Health and Justice Services, Addiction Services, Road to Recovery
Housing and Support initiative, Ontario Tele-medicine expansion, Opioid Treatment
23. Implemented several new programs, including; Community Based Crisis Line, Crisis Beds
and Mobile Crisis Services, Assertive Community Treatment Team, Release from Custody
Services, Introduction of Telemedicine to the Town of Innisfil, development of Mental Health
Courts (Barrie, Orillia), Drug Court (Barrie), two Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing projects
with private developers
If so, what roles did you play in these programs?
For these examples my role was Director of Services for the local Canadian Mental Health
Association. For all my participation was primarily from program concept to ensuring delivery.
The keys to successfully implementing programs include clearly understanding the community
need you are trying to fill, what resources are required, how you may engage partners (including
service users) to support or participate, how you will measure outcomes to prove program impact
and last but not least how you will sustain the program. Details include developing budgets,
staffing plans (job descriptions to hiring), policies and procedures and meeting ministry
requirements.
In your studies on addiction, was there a relationship between substance abuse and young
persons?

67
Substance use is related to individuals across the full life span, interestingly substance misuse by
older adults/seniors is often missed. But in simplest terms the answer is yes.
Young people by nature are experiencing a great deal of change as they try to find their
individual identity as they move from child to adult. As they mature and move through changes
substance use is often presented as part of these transitions and for many it is natural to
experiment with some type of substance. Ie- entering high school and being impacted by peer
pressure, hazing with sports teams, family stress, workplace culture, becoming 19 and legally
able to drink. There are also three major transition points for youth: 1. Elementary School to
High school 2. High school to College/University and 3. College/University to the Workforce.
Transitions can be very difficult and for some youth, substance use becomes a way to cope. Two
programs that I was involved in helped to address this issue. They were 3-year projects funded
consecutively by Health Canada- The first was called UP- Understanding our Perspective and the
Second was STACD- Start Talking About Coping and Drugs. Both encouraged schools to
support the development of student led groups with the assistance of a trained addiction staff to
create student designed and delivered substance use awareness programs, presentation, and tools
for their schools. The STACD project also had a focus on the use of prescription medication.
http://ontario.cmha.ca/factors-that-impact-addiction-and-substance-misuse/
In your studies, what connection have you made between mental health and suicide?
Research is clear that not all suicides are connected to mental illness but the of the mental
illnesses the most common diagnosis is depression. Depression is also often accompanied by
Anxiety and vice versa. Substance use may be a complicating factor in that it is also a
depressant and serves to reduce inhibition. The question asks about mental health, not mental
illness and it is important to note that these are different. Certainly, most if not all suicide could
be attributed to experiencing poor mental health see definition below, but not necessarily a
diagnosed mental illness.
Mental health is more than the absence of a mental health condition or illness: it is a positive
sense of well-being, or the capacity to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. In this
section you will find information and resources to help face the challenges to mental health in
daily life. (CMHA Ontario)
Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your
mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders,
schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. Many people have mental health
concerns from time to time. But a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing
signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function. (Mayo Clinic)
http://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/understanding-suicide-and-finding-help/
How does mental health cause conflict in the lives of youth in your expert opinion?
Certainly, if we are considering the connection with conflict then you must be referring to poor
mental health. When we think of mental health we may also be thinking good mental health.

68
Mental health impacts youth in a variety of ways, including:
Impacting studies, Reducing Social Activity, Not participating in recreation and hobbies,
Increasing Isolation, increasing substance misuse, strained family relationships, criminal justice
involvement, inability to work, focus…
In terms of moving forward, what can be done to help youth struggling with mental
health?
The key to supporting youth struggling with mental health is to reduce stigma, increase access to
services and ensure that efforts are designed to meet the unique needs of youth. Services must be
easily accessible and delivered in a way that works for youth. Ie online, text, apps and face to
face – available at the school.
We must also do all we can to remove the stigma attached to mental illnesses. Mental illnesses
need to be treated like all other illness. Early intervention is key. This means that people will
reach out for services when the start to identify a concern, just like they for with other health
issues, instead of waiting and suffering in silence with a mental illness. Mental illnesses are real,
common and treatable.
And ahead of this we invest in and provide education aimed at developing and nurturing
individual mental wellness/health. Like physical health has fitness, we must equip our youth
with strategies to proactively develop their mental fitness and resiliency. Youth must see mental
health as a component of their over all health and something they can actively work on. As the
World Health Organization proclaims, “There is no health without mental health”. One example
of this is a program that I am currently working called Mood Walks for Campus Mental Health.
This simple program utilizes the simple principals of combining the know benefits for mental
health of exercise, nature and socialization to assist students with the stress of College/University
life. Students are invited to join a hiking group that takes walks in natural areas. This simple but
effective program was adopted by 25 campuses across Ontario.

Marta Borges

Have you contributed to projects in relation to mental health and suicide prevention? If so,
please elaborate. Please mention any other accomplishments in relation to the Simcoe or
national scale.
I have been a mental health professional since 2011, serving youth crisis services, psychiatric
hospitals and outpatient settings. Most of my experience comes from the USA. I have only been
working as a MH counsellor in Canada since November of 2018.
In your professional opinion, what is the biggest implication due to mental health in youth
populations in Canada or the Simcoe area? What can be done to prevent this?
In my most current experience in Canada, I have seen youth struggling with bullying,
cyberbullying, anxiety, mostly social anxiety, poor self image/esteem and depression. Kindness

69
is a great way to start, not only to others but most importantly toward the self; a practice of self
love and compassion every day, mindfulness (checking in with emotions, thoughts, and body),
emotion regulation (attuning to different body experiences and moods, naming emotions,
knowing how to slow your nervous system if needed, knowing how to activate your nervous
system if needed), building the “muscle” of self awareness (to help catch our inner bully/critic so
we can challenge it) finding supports, building face to face connections, slowing down (resisting
electronics and the idea of immediate gratification), connecting to passions that do not include
electronics, enjoying nature (walks, runs, bike rides, swimming, yoga), exercising and providing
the body with healthy balance of nutrients and healthy amount of rest/sleep.
Mental health complications have a variety of trigger events. Do religions or cultural beliefs
have any evident impacts?
I can see both religion and cultural beliefs as both having a positive and a negative impact on
people’s overall well being; in my opinion it all depends on the individual’s temperament and
consciousness. Faith and religion can become the life line for some individuals, what motivates
them to push through when life gets tough; however I have also seen religion being interpreted in
very limiting ways which consequently do not allow individuals to become open minded and
flexible in their approach to others around who might not have the same religion and cultural
beliefs. I have also seen culture acting as social glue, connecting people who enjoy each other’s
differences; but on the other hand, I have also seen culture being used as reasons for segregation,
dispute, wars and so on. To answer your question, in my opinion it all boils down to how
individuals understand their religion and culture which will impact the way they see themselves
which consequently impacts the way they behave.
In terms of mental illness and suicide rates in youth being a global issue, what solutions can
be made? These include short-term or long-term solutions.
In regards to short term solutions I think of reactive measures which include, crisis services,
hospitalizations (inpatient units), medication management. As for the longer term solutions, I
think of preventative measures including psychoeducation on mental health in schools (hopefully
mandatory someday) and at home (talks with parents and siblings), access to counselling
support, mentorship and peer support programs, family support programs, mindfulness practice,
emotion regulation skills, healthy balance of school work and personal time, exercise, healthy
eating and healthy sleep.
Do you believe enough is being done in terms of youth suicide prevention, whether it be
locally, nationally or globally? If not, what measures can be implemented?
I have definitely noticed a shift with regards to mental health being less of a taboo nationally and
globally; we still have a long way to go, but improvement have been made. In regards to suicide
prevention measures, it would be really nice to see schools take a stand on mental health
education, the same way we have sexual education; for it to be a required class, starting in
elementary school. With more education, people are better able to identify signs, thus better able
to support the individuals in need, who tend to isolate themselves and fall prey to depression. I
can also see a role for parenting education (how the brain develops, healthy attachment and how

70
to assist their children regulate themselves emotionally as well as helping them develop critical
thinking and problem solving skills).
What may attribute to mental health and related suicides in Canada’s youth despite a high
quality of life?
There may be a genetic component to it, making individuals more prone to depression and
suicidality; attachment to parents (if healthy or insecure); ability to form trusting relationships
(friends, teachers, coaches…); education, understanding and knowledge of mental health and
emotion regulation skills; self awareness, noticing how one reacts to situations and what to do
with emotions; an excess of dependability on electronics such as video games, youtube channels,
TV, tablets, media… which has negative impacts on brain health (feeding the brain constant and
fast stimuli/ information, activating pleasure pathways almost like a drug, creating an addiction
to electronics and boredom when in real life; people then hide behind the screens which does not
allow for personal/ face to face connections, which consequently impacts social skills, which
then impacts one’s ability to express self, which creates isolation and a false sense that no one
cares or no one understands.
Please include any other contributions, facts and or items you believe are important to the
issue of mental health and suicide in youth.
Some books I would recommend for parents:
“Anxious kids, anxious parents” by Lynn Lyons, talks about anxiety and how to boss back
worries
“Conscious parenting” by Dr. Shefali – for parents; talks about parents having expectations for
their children and how that can have a negative impact on how children see and trust themselves
“the whole brain child” by Dr. Siegel – for parents; talks about brain development and emotion
regulation skills for parents to use.
Apps I recommend for teens:
Down dog – yoga practice which allows us to connect back to our body which is essential for
emotion regulation skills and building up self awareness.
Insight timer; breathe; and headspace- meditation practice which allows us to connect back to
our body, observe our minds, and build emotional resilience and conscious awareness.
Get out there and connect to each other in kind/compassionate ways! But first you need to be
kind and compassionate towards yourself!!

Samantha Docherty

71
Have you contributed to projects in relation to mental health and suicide prevention? If so,
please elaborate. Please mention any other accomplishments in relation to the Simcoe or
national scale.
I previously worked at the Centre for Mental Health and Addictions in Toronto, working on local
and national youth mental health projects. I was the coordinator the youth who lead the National
Youth Action Council we were involved in projects including youth wellness hubs, youth
engagement in mental health, and many youth mental health research projects (if you are looking
to speak to youth who work in the area you can definitely reach out to them on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/nationalyouthactioncouncil/)
I then worked at Waypoint, where I was the project lead for the Transitional aged youth system
of support – when I helped develop some resources to decrease the barriers for youth accessing
services in Simcoe county. We had a website, but I think after I left the license lapsed and I don’t
think it is active any more it was simcoemuskokataysos.com
I also work for New Path Youth and family services. Here I have worked with community
partners to develop some pathways into care for youth seeking mental health support – I have
attached one here for your reference. This helps front line services providers guide youth and
families into the type of service that makes the most sense for their needs. I have also developed
some resources for youth that include a wallet resource card and larger info card. We are
working on the crisis phone number to ensure youth are getting the appropriate crisis support
when they need it.
In your professional opinion, what is the biggest implication due to mental health in youth
populations in Canada or the Simcoe area? What can be done to prevent this?
Some of the implications that we see for youth suffering with mental health concerns is the
decrease in functioning. So, if a youth is struggling with their mental health they may not be able
to function in their daily lives to their fullest extent. This could have implications in their home,
school and daily life (ie hygiene, sleep, nutrition). Ways to prevent this would be from continued
support and funding going in to youth mental health services and early identification. Early
identification could be promoted with education for parents and teachers, who see young people
on a daily basis and are the ones noticing the changes and support them to access the services
they need. But the key is the proper services available to youth when and where they need them,
so when that early identification has been made there is somewhere, they can go to get the help
they need before things escalate.
Mental health complications have a variety of trigger events. Do religions or cultural beliefs
have any evident impacts?
I am not too sure about this one, in terms of religion or cultural beliefs being triggers. Sometimes
we do see religion or culture being a barrier to accessing service, if the services aren’t being
offered in a culturally competent way or if people’s beliefs aren’t in line with counselling and
therapy this could prevent them from accessing the help that they need. For people new to
Canada language can be a huge barrier to accessing service

72
In terms of mental illness and suicide rates in youth being a global issue, what solutions can
be made? These include short-term or long-term solutions.
Solutions is a very loaded question. It always comes down to funding. And funding going in to
prevention and early identification of mental illness. So, with education and efforts being put
upstream, to support youth experiencing life stressors before they reach the point of suicidal
thoughts this could decrease the number of youth requiring care – this can be seen as
preventative rather than reactive. Some mental illnesses are genetic and unavoidable, this is
where early identification is necessary, and again funding in place for youth who require
intensive services to access the help they need. Having community mental health counselling
available for everyone for when they need it is important, and providing a stepped care model so
that people can move from less intensive to more intensive services if that is something they
need – with the goal of providing them support early, before the escalate to a point that they need
intensive services

Kendra Listro

Have you contributed to projects in relation to mental health and suicide prevention? If so,
please elaborate. Please mention any other accomplishments in relation to the Simcoe or
national scale.
I am involved in the Be Well Project; one part of this project is about screening people who may
need help in the area of mental health. We have also developed a website to provide resources
and information about healthy living to individuals living in South Georgian Bay.
In your professional opinion, what is the biggest implication due to mental health in youth
populations in Canada or the Simcoe area? What can be done to prevent this?
It appears, to me, that the introduction of Social Media has contributed to the rise of mental
health issues in Canada. When I was a youth, I had to call a friend at their home number, a parent
would answer the phone and I would have to politely ask to speak to my friend. This is one
example of how I learned to communicate (verbally). Today it is not even necessary to speak to
someone, let alone ask for permission from an adult to do so. This lack of verbal communication
creates anxiety when the time comes for someone to actually speak to a teacher, a potential
employer or even a same-age peer; in fact, it can become so anxiety provoking that a youth may
avoid the act entirely.
Mental health complications have a variety of trigger events. Do religions or cultural beliefs
have any evident impacts?
Absolutely. I believe parenting styles, which can be influenced by religion and culture, play a
huge role in triggering mental health complications. For example, a LGBTQ youth who has
parents that have religious or cultural values that do not support the LGBTQ community, can
experience anxiety and depression because the feel unsupported or rejected by their family.

73
In terms of mental illness and suicide rates in youth being a global issue, what solutions can
be made? These include short-term or long-term solutions.
A suggestion that I provide to parents that I work with is to take responsibility for controlling
and setting boundaries in the amount of time that youth are on devices. Encouraging youth to
socialize (in person), engage in sports/extra-curricular actives, spending time outside, take part in
family activities/dinners etc., would positively impact everyone’s mental health.
Do you believe enough is being done in terms of youth suicide prevention, whether it be
locally, nationally or globally? If not, what measures can be implemented?
If youth are still committing suicide, then more can be done.
What may attribute to mental health and related suicides in Canada’s youth despite a high
quality of life?
I don’t think a high quality of life suggests that one shouldn’t experience mental health issues.
Having a job, roof over your head, food on the table, and money to spend doesn’t eliminate you
from experience stress, worry, sadness, fear, etc. Rather, having a support system to rely on in
touch times, resiliency traits and positive coping strategies.
Please include any other contributions, facts and or items you believe are important to the
issue of mental health and suicide in youth.
 Social Media
 Parenting
 Gaming
 School
 Sexuality
 Trauma
 Bullying

Tracy Poole

Have you contributed to projects in relation to mental health and suicide prevention? If so,
please elaborate. Please mention any other accomplishments in relation to the Simcoe or
national scale.
Mental Health awareness campaign to take away the stigma of Mental health
Involved in speaking to parents about Mental Health and Suicide prevention
In your professional opinion, what is the biggest implication due to mental health in youth
populations in Canada or the Simcoe area? What can be done to prevent this?
Youth feel they don’t have a voice and feel they are not allowed to speak openly about their
struggles due to the fear of being judged by family or school as well as friends. Even though
social media is a great tool Young people struggle with setting appropriate boundries to limit
their time and interactions which impacts their social emotional growth. Preventions- more
groups for young people to talk about mental health

74
Mental health complications have a variety of trigger events. Do religions or cultural beliefs
have any evident impacts?
Cultural and religious beliefs do have an impact on mental health as they young person may be
questioning his faith and does not agree with his cultural norms of his family which impact again
the social emotional growth of the young person. Some of the beliefs maybe very ridged and this
may not be how they want to live their lifes which causes conflict in the home or with friends.
In terms of mental illness and suicide rates in youth being a global issue, what solutions can
be made? These include short-term or long-term solutions.
Having more awareness and social situation to talk openly about how people are feeling, more
access to social programs with counsellors to facilate conversations that are safe. More access to
on-line support if a young person is unable to come into an office. Have activation workers who
can go into the community to meet the young person where they are at emotional and work with
them closely
Do you believe enough is being done in terms of youth suicide prevention, whether it be
locally, nationally or globally? If not, what measures can be implemented?
No, I do not think there is enough being done. Our hospitals are not set up to deal with young
people suicidal ideation and placing them in hospital with adults is not productive.
What may attribute to mental health and related suicides in Canada’s youth despite a high
quality of life?
Family, Friends, Social media, religion, cultural beliefs, questioning sexuality, sexuality, rape

Gregory Taylor

Have you contributed to projects in relation to mental health and suicide prevention? If so,
please elaborate. Please mention any other accomplishments in relation to the Simcoe or
national scale.
I have sat on the Simcoe Muskoka Suicide Awareness Committee for the last five years and we
hold an annual suicide awareness conference at Geneva Park every spring. It’s a great one-day
conference that both helping professionals (including first responders) and family/friends would
get a lot out of.
I have co-facilitated a group called “Skills for Safer Living” which is a 20-week suicide recovery
program for people who are repetitively suicidal. This program was created by Yvonne Bergman
at St. Mike’s hospital in Toronto several years ago. It’s a great program because often suicide is
treated like an immediate medical emergency in a hospital and once the person is no longer
“immediately at risk”, they are discharged from the hospital. But unfortunately, there isn’t a lot
of follow-up and suicide recovery and it is up to the individual to pursue resources, which are
often hard to find. I co-facilitated this group with CMHA in Barrie and they still run this group in
Barrie every fall.
As the counselling coordinator and mental health case manager at Georgian College, I go into
classrooms to offer workshops on suicide awareness and prevention. I am also involved with a

75
mental health strategy committee and we run a mental health week each year in November,
promoting mental health and anti-stigma. As case manager, I also have a relationship with the
social workers at the mental health unit at Royal Victoria Hospital. If a student ends up in the
hospital, the social workers will often call me to meet the student, either before they are
discharged or after their discharged, to provide further resources.
I am also a safeTALK trainer (through a company called Living Works) which offers a three-
hour suicide alertness training program for anyone 15 years of age and older. I have facilitated
this workshop around 75 times to a wide variety of participants, including college students and
staff, churches, me2we organization, school boards, a northern medical school, an addiction
recovery treatment centre (staff) and the City of Wasaga Beach – for youth.
In your professional opinion, what is the biggest implication due to mental health in youth
populations in Canada or the Simcoe area? What can be done to prevent this?
As you may know, the onset of mental illness happens a lot for people between the ages of 18
and 24. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for that age group. The unfortunate thing is
that less than 24% of that age group receives treatment. A huge issue is stigma. Unfortunately,
people don’t reach out when they are in mild emotional and mental pain and people tend to let
mental health go longer than they would let physical illness go. The good news is that mental
illness, for the most part, is treatable, if people are willing to get help. But unfortunately, many
people try to ignore it or sweep it under the carpet.
What can be done to prevent this is the continuation of promoting anti-stigma. Getting people to
talk about it openly. It’s better than it used to be but they’re still a long way to go. Also,
programs like safeTALK are great, in terms of raising people’s awareness and giving people
tools to both identify when someone has suicidal thoughts and know how to connect them with
someone who has suicidal intervention expertise.
Mental health complications have a variety of trigger events. Do religions or cultural beliefs
have any evident impacts?
Interesting question. There have been religions which treat suicide like an absolute “no-no”. For
example, some religions would tell you that you would go to hell for eternity if you died that
way and may also not allow you to be buried in their burial ground. Lots of stigma and lots of
shame around it.
There are cultures that don’t “believe” in mental health. Almost 30% of Georgian College’s
International students and many of them come from cultures that really don’t believe in
depression or suicide. There are also many subcultures in Canada that don’t believe in it either. I
know of students who have parents who grew up with the attitude, “just suck it up and you’ll get
over it”. Scary stuff.
In terms of mental illness and suicide rates in youth being a global issue, what solutions can
be made? These include short-term or long-term solutions.
Not an easy answer. I think one solution is keeping family relationships and communities strong
and unified. The family unit has dwindled a lot and people seem to be more alone than ever. In
Britain they apparently now have a “minister of loneliness”, I kid you not.

76
Again, raising awareness that mental health problems are absolutely normal and everyone has
problems from time to time… and it’s okay to talk about it. It’s normal!! We all have our
moments. It’s common humanity.
Things like poverty and poor economy (including inequity and oppression) certainly don’t help.
At the same time, suicide does not discriminate and ANYONE can be susceptible, poor, rich,
successful, unsuccessful, etc.
Do you believe enough is being done in terms of youth suicide prevention, whether it be
locally, nationally or globally? If not, what measures can be implemented?
There can always be more. More education. More awareness. More funding for social services
and communities. More resources in the communities.
What may attribute to mental health and related suicides in Canada’s youth despite a high
quality of life?
Again, mental health. The Ontario University and College health Association recently did a
survey of 25,000 post secondary students in Ontario. 65% reported overwhelming anxiety, 46%
reported so depressed they could barely function, 13% had seriously considered suicide, and
11% had attempted. Yes, we have a high quality of life, but there is more anxiety with use than
ever. Lots of pressure. Tons of pressure.
You probably have heard of personalities like Kate Spade, Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain…
very wealthy and successful people. Suicide in mental health does NOT discriminate. People are
still afraid to talk about it and to get help. What really does “quality” of life mean? Obviously, a
big house and a fancy car doesn’t cut it.

77
 Bibliography

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.guyana.org/history.html

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/feature/parkland-florida-school-shooting/

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

(2015, July 28). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/country-cooperation/what-who-does/strategies-

and-briefs/en/

A History of Mental Illness Treatment. (2016, October 14). Retrieved from

https://online.csp.edu/blog/psychology/history-of-mental-illness-treatment

Andrews, E. (2016, January 11). Retrieved from https://www.history.com/news/what-is-seppuku

Audiopedia. (2015, December 18). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smccVfQT4UM

Belshaw, J. D. (2015, April 13). Canadian History: Pre-Confederation. Retrieved from

https://opentextbc.ca/preconfederation/chapter/6-10-acadia-1713-1755/

Blakemore, E. (2018, February 28). How Japan Took Control of Korea. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/news/japan-colonization-korea

Bradford, A. (2018, May 16). What Is Trepanation? Retrieved from

https://www.livescience.com/62591-trepanation-explained.html

Canada, H. (2016, March 02). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnr3gWgsdzQ

Canada GDP per capita. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/gdp-per-capita

78
Canada's History. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.canadashistory.ca/

Chen, E. I. (1970). Japanese Colonialism in Korea and Formosa: A Comparison of The Systems of

Political Control. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies,30, 126. doi:10.2307/2718768

Children and Youth. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/what-

we-do/children-and-youth

Children's Rights Council. (n.d.). Youth Suicides in Canada and elsewhere. Retrieved from

http://www.canadiancrc.com/Youth_Suicide_in_Canada.aspx

Chinas Decision to Enter the Korean War: History Revisited. (n.d.). The SHAFR Guide Online.

doi:10.1163/2468-1733_shafr_sim150100148

Citizenship Canada. (2015, October 26). Discover Canada - Canada's History. Retrieved from

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-

manuals/discover-canada/read-online/canadas-history.html

CMHA Simcoe County. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cmhastarttalking.ca/

CNN. (2017, February 24). In traditional South African healing, the physical, spiri... Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7bVlqeM-g8

Common menu bar links. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/98-187-

x/4064812-eng.htm

CrashCourse. (2013, May 02). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajn9g5Gsv98

CrashCourse. (2013, May 02). Retrieved May 10, 2019, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajn9g5Gsv98

79
Default - Stanford Children's Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=teen-suicide-90-P02584

Depression. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-

addiction-index/depression

DocSpot. (2018, February 03). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9czb6OO5eB0

Document. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa24/001/2011/en/

Editors, H. (2009, November 09). Korean War. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/topics/korea/korean-war

Editors, H. (2009, October 29). Adolf Hitler. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/world-

war-ii/adolf-hitler-1

Faria, M. A. (2013, April 05). Violence, mental illness, and the brain - A brief history of

psychosurgery: Part 1 - From trephination to lobotomy. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3640229/

Fast Facts about Mental Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cmha.ca/about-cmha/fast-facts-about-

mental-illness

Find Help Now. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cmha.bc.ca/documents/mental-illnesses-in-children-

and-youth-2/

Frazao, K. (n.d.). Reflecting on mental health one year after Parkland school shooting. Retrieved

from https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/parkland-school-massacre-1-year-later

Guyana. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/guyana

80
Guyana Health Insurance. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.pacificprime.com/country/americas/guyana-health-insurance-pacific-prime-

international/

GUYANA: Trying To Stop Suicide: Guyana Aims To Bring Down Its High Rate. (2019, May 10).

Retrieved from https://www.sprc.org/news/guyana-trying-stop-suicide-guyana-aims-bring-down-

its-high-rate

Gyeongbokgung. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gyeongbokgung

Handy, G. (2016, October 16). How Guyana is trying to combat its high suicide rate. Retrieved from

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37618854

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kidshelpphone.ca/

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://teenmentalhealth.org/

Homer, Cowper, W., Johnson, J., Fuseli, J. H., Howard, H., Smirke, R., . . . Westall, T. (1810). The

Illiad ..London: Pub. by J. Johnston, & Sharpe & Hailes; Print., by S. Hamilton.

Homer, Cowper, W., Johnson, J., Fuseli, J. H., Howard, H., Smirke, R., . . . Westall, T. (1810). The

Illiad ..London: Pub. by J. Johnston, & Sharpe & Hailes; Print., by S. Hamilton.

How Can Care for Depression Become More Cost-effective? (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272899326_How_Can_Care_for_Depression_Become

_More_Cost-effective

Illsley, C. (2016, March 21). Largest Religions In The World. Retrieved from

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/largest-religions-in-the-world.html

81
Independent_Documentary. (2013, December 07). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0brD50DIv5Q

Irving, J. (2019, May 07). Trephination. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Trephination/

Kimura, M. (1995). The Economics of Japanese Imperialism in Korea, 1910-1939. The Economic

History Review,48(3), 555. doi:10.2307/2598181

Kutcher, S. P., & Szumilas, M. (2008, January 29). Youth suicide prevention. Retrieved from

http://www.cmaj.ca/content/178/3/282.short#ref-10

Learn about what is schizophrenia and schizophrenia treatment options. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.schizophrenia.ca/learn_more_about_schizophrenia.php

Menke, J. K., & Richardson, B. C. (2019, February 01). Guyana. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/place/Guyana/History

Mental Disorders. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/mental-disorders/

Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://barriefht.ca/mental-health/

Miller, C., & Child Mind Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/is-social-

media-use-causing-depression/

Millions with mental disorders deprived of treatment and care. (2010, December 08). Retrieved

from https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr37/en/

Mohammed, F., & Twitter., F. @. (2015, June 03). Guyana: Mental illness, witchcraft, and the

highest suicide rate in the world. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-

development-professionals-network/2015/jun/03/guyana-mental-illness-witchcraft-and-the-

highest-suicide-rate-in-the-world

82
Nakagawa, A., Grunebaum, M. F., Ellis, S. P., Oquendo, M. A., Kashima, H., Gibbons, R. D., &

Mann, J. J. (2007, June). Association of suicide and antidepressant prescription rates in Japan,

1999-2003. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3804897/

NAMI. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/September-2018/The-

Ripple-Effect-of-Suicide

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2017, February 17). Retrieved from

https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-almanac/national-institute-mental-health-nimh

News, A. (2018, December 29). New video and details emerge from Parkland shooting. Retrieved

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1-OFLsgnOU

NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search - 20042924 - The state of US health, 1990-2010: Burden of

diseases, injuries, and risk factors. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nioshtic-

2/20042924.html

North Korea Population 2019. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/north-korea-population/

Origin of the names of Canada and its provinces and territories. (2016, October 12). Retrieved from

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/place-names/origins-geographical-

names/9224

Passage, S. (2015, November 06). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw0Worsu0cY

Passage, S. (2015, November 06). Retrieved May 10, 2019, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw0Worsu0cY

83
Patel, V. (n.d.). Traditional healers for mental health care in Africa. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150105/

Pollard, R. T. (1939). Dynamics of Japanese Imperialism. Pacific Historical Review.

Polytheism. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.polytheism.net/

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-

traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml

Premorbid Social Functioning in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Similarities and Differences.

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/ajp.154.11.1544

Rawlins, W. C., & Bishop, M. (2018, June 29). Trying To Stop Suicide: Guyana Aims To Bring

Down Its High Rate. Retrieved from

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/06/29/622615518/trying-to-stop-suicide-

guyana-aims-to-bring-down-its-high-rate

Reality, D. C. (2018, January 01). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unQxAvH8QNQ

Redlich, F. C. (2001). Hitler: Diagnosis of a destructive prophet. Oxford University Press.

Reichenberg, A. (2012). Premorbid Intellectual Functioning And Social Adjustment And Risk Of

Developing Schizophrenia, Psychotic Or Non-Psychotic Bipolar Disorder: A Population

Longitudinal Study. Schizophrenia Research,136. doi:10.1016/s0920-9964(12)70132-9

Religious Views on Suicide. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mpac.org/programs/anti-terrorism-

campaign/islamic-views-regarding-terrorism-and-suicidem/religious-views-on-suicide.php

84
Richardson, B. C., & Menke, J. K. (2019, February 01). Guyana. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/place/Guyana

Schizophrenia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-

illness/schizophrenia

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://streamrift.com/component/video_gallery/video/186090.html#

Suicide. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/suicide/

Suicide in the Bible. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-

articles/suicide-in-the-bible

(2017, June 16). Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-624-

x/2012001/article/11696-eng.htm

Suicides among Japanese young people hit 30-year high. (2018, November 05). Retrieved from

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46096626

Taylor, K. E. (2013, February 04). Japan: Colonization and settlement. Retrieved from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781444351071.wbeghm319

Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/technology-and-the-future-of-mental-health-

treatment/index.shtml

Teen Suicide: Is There An Epidemic? (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/teensuicide/

Timeline: Guyana. (2012, August 16). Retrieved from

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1211428.stm

85
TODAY. (2017, April 04). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zI9ub9AgF0

TREHER, W., SCHREBER, D. P., Hitler, A., & Steiner, R. (1966). Hitler, Steiner, Schreber. Ein

Beitrag zur Phänomenologie des kranken Geistes.

UK, D. (2018, April 11). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfhSEITNCwc

Veterans Affairs Canada. (2019, February 14). Korean War (1950 – 1953). Retrieved from

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/korean-war

Wakatsuki, Y., & Griffiths, J. (2018, November 06). Japan's youth suicide rate highest in 30 years.

Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/05/health/japan-youth-suicide-intl/index.html

Walton, J. (2018). Words on bathroom walls. Ember.

WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-indicators/

86