BE WELL, BE YOU

There has been a noticeable surge in the demand for mental health services during the pandemic, particularly among the youth. However, the effectiveness of the mental health resources available to them on social media platforms remains unclear. The Public Health Agency of Canada recognizes this challenge and aims to gain insights into how young people access healthcare information through technology.
Our project aims to address the low utilization of the resources provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada among the youth population. Despite the availability of valuable information about youth health on their website, young people often don’t turn to the agency for support. Therefore, our study will focus on identifying ways for the Public Health Agency of Canada to connect better with young people and become a trusted source of information for their mental well-being.
Based on our secondary research, we have identified young residents of Canada aged from 18 to 24 as the target group for our focus group. This age range represents both students and young professionals in Canada. We have decided to focus on social media as the primary technology platform since it is widely used by this demographic.Our research has highlighted that mental health is a significant concern for young people. Therefore, it is the primary area of focus for our project.
Upon our research findings, we developed both quantitative and qualitative questions for our survey and semi-structured interviews. The survey focused on gathering information about the social media habits of young people. For instance, their primary use of social media platforms, their interest in mental health topics, and their willingness to learn more about mental health. We sought to understand the level of trust young people place in mental health information provided on social media and other online platforms through our semi-structured interviews. We aimed to gain insights into the reasons behind their preferences for certain sources of information, their trust in specific social media platforms, and their approach to searching for mental health information online. Additionally, we asked them about the usefulness and helpfulness of the information they found. This is to gain a comprehensive understanding of young people’s behaviours, attitudes, and perceptions towards mental health information on social media.
We recruited 490 participants to our research using social media, and 9 participants were selected for follow-up interviews. After analysis, we developed insights and recommendations based on what we found in our research.
Based on our research, we discovered that young people seek emotional support from their peers, while relying on mental health professionals for reliable information. To address this, we have developed an AI mentor that provides both emotional and professional support on social media. Our goal is to build trust with young people and create a safe and open environment where they can easily share their experiences. The AI mentor can also share positive thoughts, tips, or experiences and provide links to the PHAC’s website for easy access to more information.
We also worked on the PHAC’s website design, to enrich the format, and make it more attractive to youth. We are confident that our research and findings will provide a valuable contribution to improving public health information access for Canadian youth.