Grant: Project Grant

The COVID-19 pandemic, an 'unprecedented historical event,' has affected the daily lives of all peoples. In particular, youth across the globe have been and continue to be impacted in substantial ways, which includes a growing mental health (MH) and well-being crisis in youth. The short- and long-term consequences of the pandemic on the MH and well-being of this generation are only just beginning to be determined. Warranted is an ongoing examination of the impacts and lived experiences of COVID-19 on the MH and well-being of youth coming of age in COVID-times, considering the pandemic and the fall-out from it are expected to affect youth for years to come. The goal of this youth-centered, mixed-methods study is to understand, from a life course perspective, the impacts of COVID-19 on the MH and well-being of Manitoba (MB) youth coming of age, to provide recommendations to improve services and supports for this population and to inform preparedness for future health crises and pandemics. Individual and population data will be collected from youth residing in MB. Multiple data collection methods (e.g., interviews, arts-based methods, and population level administrative data) will be used, guided by principles of equity, collaboration and partnership. This first-of-its-kind project will generate important ongoing and longitudinal evidence on the impacts and lived experiences of COVID-19 on the MH and well-being of youth coming of age to inform evidence-based practices and policies. Recommendations and solutions to ameliorate the impacts of COVID-19 on the MH and well-being of youth in MB will emerge. Long-term, feedback from this study will be used to inform the next steps in the research program, including developing new services, programs and interventions that will ultimately contribute to the MH and well-being of youth in MB and across Canada, as well as shape future responses to new health care crises and pandemics.