Disparités en santé mentale et ses déterminants chez les jeunes du secondaire au Québec selon la langue d’enseignement

The authors focus on a comparative analysis by language of instruction of some mental health indicators and their determinants. The data analyzed came from the 2016-2017 Quebec Secondary School Youth Health Survey. The authors found that for most of the indicators analyzed, there is no difference between high school students whose language of instruction is English and those whose language of instruction is French. And for those indicators for which there is a gap between the two groups, the gap is sometimes to the disadvantage of young people studying in English and sometimes to the disadvantage of young people studying in French. The authors found that a higher proportion of young people in secondary school whose language of instruction is English, compared to those whose language of instruction is French, have received a medical diagnosis of depression; have received a medical diagnosis of an eating disorder; do not perveive themselves to be in good health; sleep less than the recommended amount of time during the school week; rate the social support they receive in their home environment as low; have a low sense of overall self-efficacy; have been bullied at school or on the way to school during the school year and cyberbullied; and have been assaulted by gang members at school or on the way to school during the school year. Overall, the authors found that all young people in high school regardless of the language of instruction may be struggling with mental health problems or facing situations that are more deleterious to their well-being.

Québec

Institut national de santé publique du Québec

Janvier 2022

fr