CMHA Ontario is funding a landmark research study by the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario (SSO) that will examine the effects of stigma and discrimination on youth living with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. Led by the SSO’s Dr. Taryn Tang, and in partnership with the Hispanic Development Council, Across Boundaries, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the research team intends to fill a much-needed research gap and produce programs to serve Ontario’s highly diverse youth population. No other studies of this kind have been undertaken in Ontario.
Reaching out to youth, their families and peers to conduct this research is significant, said Camille Quenneville, CEO of CMHA Ontario.
“It is important to ensure that Ontario’s mental health system is meeting the needs of our very diverse population,” Quenneville said. “If we better understand the needs and experiences of ethno-racial youth in Ontario, we can improve both the accessibility and the quality of mental health services and supports.”
The SSO wants to hear from Latino Hispanic, South Asian, Afro-Caribbean and Caucasian people in the Greater Toronto Area. It wants input from those between 16-24, both who are and are not living with schizophrenia or depression and their family members. Interviews are available in English, Spanish, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi.
People wishing to participate in this project may contact Rahma Kerim of the SSO at rkerim@schizophrenia.on.ca or 1-800-449-6367, ext. 259. A $30 honorarium will be awarded for each interview. Visit the SSO website for more information.
To learn more about current research on ethno-racial youth in Ontario, visit CBC Toronto’s Here and Now radio program to hear a recent interview with Dr.Tang.