Youth are feeling a drastic decline in mental health.
Youth mental illness is a looming crisis — and has been since long before the pandemic began.
In partnership with 
@MentoringCanada
Youth mental illness is a looming crisis — and has been since long before the pandemic began.
In partnership with @MentoringCanada
51%
Ages 18-24
48%
Students
*CMHA, May 2021
Do you recall having a mentor in your teenage years?
38%
67%
of mentored youth reported good or excellent mental health compared to 62% of non-mentored youth.
79%
of youth who had a formal mentor reported good or excellent mental health
56%
of mentored youth reported a strong or somewhat strong sense of belonging to their community compared to 37% of unmentored youth.
68%
of youth who had a formal mentor reported strong or somewhat strong sense of belonging.
73%
of mentored youth said that their most meaningful mentor during their teenage years had a significant influence on their confidence in their abilities.
70%
of mentored youth said that their most meaningful mentor during their teenage years had a significant influence on their hope and optimism for the future.
67%
of mentored youth said that their most meaningful mentor during their teenage years had a significant influence on their self-esteem.
MENTOR Canada launched The State of Mentoring Research Initiative in 2019, the first ever pan-Canadian study on youth mentoring, with data and evidence that shows how mentoring young people across the country can play a massive role in their mental health and well-being.
1 in 2
young adults reported that they can recall a time between the ages of 6 to 18 when they wanted a mentor but did not have one.
55%
of young people who faced barriers accessing mentors during their teenage years said they did not know how to find one.
15,000
youth who have pursued access to a mentor are on waiting lists to be matched.
62%
of youth who faced at least one risk factor during their youth reported unmet needs with regards to access to a mentor.
They were twice as likely to report unmet needs than youth who did not experience risk factors
69%
of youth with a functional disability reported unmet needs with regards to access to a mentor.
They were almost three times more likely to report unmet needs compared to youth who do not have a disability
69%
of LGBTQ2S+ youth reported unmet needs with regards to access to a mentor.
They were 39 percent more likely to report unmet needs than heterosexual youth
Mentors provide holistic support, including skills development and supportive transitions in education, career, and important life events.
4/5
respondents agree that federal and provincial governments should invest in youth mentoring.
18%
of organizations offering mentoring programs that participated in the Capturing the Mentoring Landscape study reported that fundraising and grant writing was the most important operational challenge their organization faced.
Support scaling programs that have demonstrated a high level of quality and effectiveness.
Support innovative practices and programs, based on sound theoretical frameworks, that aim to respond to new challenges and needs.
Invest in research on and evaluation of programs and practices to foster continuous improvement.
Support the development and dissemination of tools and resources to empower adults to become natural mentors in addition to formal mentors.
Adopt policies that promote the inclusion of mentoring approaches in youth development programs.
Participate in public awareness campaigns such as Mentoring Month (January) and promote a culture of mentoring by including references to mentoring in everyday public discourse.
Organic mentoring relationships
Teachers, sports coaches, elders
Organized programs
Youth mentoring programs, academic program, workplace or career programs
*Only about 16% total of Canadian youth surveyed were able to take part in formal mentoring programs
Parents, family members, neighbours, friends
Mentored youth are 2x more likely to mentor others in the future.
Mentored youth were 95% more likely to have pursued further education after high school.
3 out of 4 mentored youth said their mentor had a significant influence on their self-confidence.
respondents believe that mentoring benefits not only young people but also Canadian society as a whole. They recognize that mentoring has a myriad of societal benefits, including:
76%
endorse reduced violence or anti-social behaviour as one of mentoring’s major benefits.
76%
believe improved mental health is a major benefit.
71%
endorse healthier intergenerational relationships.
68%
believe increased access to and readiness for employment is a major benefit.
68%
who endorse higher educational achievement.
65%
think that one of the major societal benefits of mentoring is increased collaboration and communication across social class and racial and ethnocultural groups.
