New Canadian Network for Child and Youth Mental Health Trials launched
HAMILTON, ON – Improving mental healthcare for children and youth is the focus of a new, and first of its kind, national mental health network. The Canadian Network for Child and Youth Mental Health Trials (CYMH Trials Network) will support high quality, innovative clinical trials spanning 12 institutions and six provinces.
Mental health challenges remain a serious health issue among Canadian youth. Seventy-five percent of mental disorders emerge before age 25. At any given time, one in every eight children under the age of 18 years has a mental disorder requiring specialized health services.
The network’s local lead is Melissa Kimber, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University, a registered social worker in the Hamilton community, and a core member of the Offord Centre for Child Studies, which is affiliated with McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences/McMaster Children’s Hospital.
“The Child and Youth Mental Health program at McMaster Children’s Hospital is one the largest pediatric mental health programs in Canada and the Offord Centre is internationally recognized for its research in child and youth mental health,” says Kimber. “It’s critical that we share the wisdom of the clinicians, researchers, children, youth, and caregivers within our community. Mental health challenges among children and youth are at historically high rates, and yet, only a fraction of the young people in Canada who can benefit from evidence-based programs and interventions, receive them. Investing in this network provides the critical foundation needed to mobilize pan-Canadian commitment and expertise to collectively pursue better mental health for all children and youth in the nation.”
With funding from the federal Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT)/ Accélérer les Essais Cliniques (AEC) Consortium, the network will bring together researchers, patient partners, Indigenous and community leaders, and decision-makers from across the country to improve child mental health care. It will also explore partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and tech start-ups to build upon their findings and streamline medication access for families.