A new provincial awareness campaign by Foundry Virtual BC is reaching out to male-identifying youth and boys to tell them it's okay to talk about their mental health.
Titled We Are Here For You, the campaign features a powerful one-minute video that illustrates the often unspoken voice inside men and boys that wants to express how they're feeling but doesn't feel safe to. The hope of the campaign is to destigmatize mental health stereotypes among young males and have ongoing conversations that inspire and encourage male-identifying youth from 12 to 24 to access Foundry services when they need it.
"In the west and especially in Canada, there's that mentality that guys need to be tough, that you don't want to be seen as weak," said Daniel To, District Principal of Education Services. "A lot of times, they won't express their mental health concerns or depression or internal emotional pain because society and the media portray it as weakness.
"Even in 2024 when we see ourselves as a more progressive society, boys and men still remain relatively quiet on their mental health and wellness concerns. It's only when things reach a dire strait that we then say, Do you need help?' Because that's when they're reaching out."
To said there are certain indicators of mental health struggles in male students, including:
- poor academic performance;
- lower attendance;
- disruptive behaviour in class; and
- dysregulation in the social atmosphere of school.
While the reasons for mental health decline can vary, To said a lot of it comes down to not fitting in and feeling less accepted among your peers. It can also stem from being targeted or bullied as a result of not fitting in at school.
"A lot of it is not being seen as the norm - whatever the norm is, whatever most of the boys like to do," he said. "If you're at a school where most of the boys play soccer, and you don't play soccer or follow the general norms of the culture of the school community, and then you're seen as an outsider, and that's when the mental health issues can start."
Subsequently, To said the inability to make friends and connect with others often leads to feelings of low self-esteem and low self-worth, further negatively impacting the mental health of boys and young men.
Foundry is a provincewide network of integrated health and wellness services for young people ages 12 to 24, and offers free, same-day and scheduled counselling and peer support for youth and their caregivers and families across B.C. It also offers groups and workshops, substance use services, physical and sexual healthcare, and employment and education services.
Through the We Are Here For You campaign, To said he hopes male-identifying students will feel encouraged to speak up when their mental health is declining and erase any stigmas around weakness in vulnerability.
"I think it's so important to wipe that stigma out," he said. "It's so important to realize that mental health affects everybody."
For more information on the We Are Here For You campaign, visit foundrybc.ca/hereforyou
The district and its partners also offer a number of mental health resources for students and families, including counselling, help lines, educational videos and more.
