Building partnerships with prevention experts targeting other mental health problems

There is recognition that rates of mental illness, including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders (EDs), are increasing in youth at an alarming rate, and that the social environment somehow seems to be contributing to the problem, yet with no effective or evidence-based solutions in the schools to counteract the illusive factors contributing to this rise (GermAnn & Ardiles, 2009). For example, studies suggest that as many as 14–25% (over 800,000 in Canada) of children and youth experience significant mental health issues (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2009).