Report On Youth Suicide, Mental Health Makes 12 Recommendations

A long-awaited report into youth suicide prevention and mental health services in New Brunswick has been released.

The report by the Office of the Child, Youth and Seniors’ Advocate follows the death of 16-year-old Lexi Daken in February.

The Fredericton-area teen took her own life after trying to get help at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton.

“The question we’re left with is how can we prevent it from happening again,” deputy advocate Christian Whalen said Wednesday during a news conference.

The 110-page report, entitled The Best We Have To Offer, looks at the circumstances surrounding Daken’s death along with a broader review of suicide prevention and mental health services.

Among the gaps and shortfalls identified are a lack of standardized suicide risk assessment practices in emergency rooms; a “chronic shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists; and an overreliance on health system crisis care and lack of prevention services in community settings.

Whalen noted that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people and New Brunswick has the highest suicide rate in the country.

“We know that young people are not connecting with care when they urgently need it,” he said, “so how do we actually make our health services work for more young people when they’re actively seeking help? How do we help more young people recognize the signs that they may need help?”

The report proposes 12 broad recommendations to the government aimed at structural changes and program improvements, said Whalen.

They include appointing a provincial minister of children and youth, making investments to address the shortage of mental health professionals and to make mental health services more broadly available, training for all professionals working in child and youth mental health, and adopting a provincial youth suicide prevention strategy.

Other recommendations include creating a youth-led child and youth health rights advisory council, as well as improving and reforming the Integrated Services Delivery program.

The report also proposes applying the AAAQ framework, which deals with improving the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality care of youth mental health and suicide prevention services.

“It’s a very complete plan to improve the ways in which we can better work together towards improved connections to care, less reliance on hospital-based care, greater reliance on compassionate community-based care, and early interventions,” said Whalen.

Advocate Norm Bossé said he believes Daken’s passing will be the catalyst for imperative changes in the child and youth mental health system.

“The memory of Lexi gave power to this report. Her memory must now give power to the people who can make the changes that are so incredibly necessary,” Bossé said in a news release.

If you are in need of help, you can contact the Saint John Integrated Mobile Crisis Response Team at 1-888-811-3664 or the Chimo Helpline at 1-800-667-5005.