World Mental Health Day highlights the importance of community connections

By David Yin, Local Journlism Initiative reporter

World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 is an international opportunity for people to discuss and learn more about mental health.

For young Canadians, mental health may be more relevant than ever.

In a federal government study, participants aged 12 to 25 rated their mental health at a decreasing and lower level than older adults across 2015 to 2022. Additionally, those aged 12 to 25 recorded increasing rates of mental illness from 2015 to 2022.

One emerging topic about young Canadians’ mental health is third places. Third places are areas where people can connect with one another outside their homes or workplaces, such as libraries, parks, cafes, bars, gyms, or places of worship.

YMCA of Greater Toronto suggested that third places are crucial for young Canadians to feel connected. 74 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds said that they lacked a sense of community, according to the YMCA Connections Snapshot report published last month.

The report said that only 38 per cent of surveyed Canadians felt connected in their community, with those aged 26 to 34 reporting the lowest sense of connection. Respondents said that the largest barriers to connection were social anxiety and discomfort (52 per cent), followed by a lack of time (47 per cent) and not knowing where to start (47 per cent).

The report added that around 75 per cent of respondents aged 26 to 34 said that third spaces can help them feel more connected to their community. 65 per cent said that they wanted more third places that were locally available, and 58 per cent of Canadians said that they would visit third places more often if they were affordable or free.

Lesley Davidson, president of YMCA of Greater Toronto, said that technology use may be a factor towards feelings of disconnect among young Canadians.

“While technology is great in many ways, it doesn’t replace the benefits of being together face-to-face,” she said.

The World Health Organization’s report on social connection published last June said that third places are one of many ways to help combat loneliness. It said that 1 in 6 people are affected by loneliness worldwide, which is linked to about 100 deaths per hour.

The report said that social connection can provide benefits beyond mental health, such as reducing inflammation; slowing cognitive decline; and lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and early death.

“Becoming part of a community doesn’t happen overnight; it takes consistency, meaningful participation and engagement over time,” Davidson said. “Whether it’s joining a fitness class by yourself and meeting new people or playing drop-in basketball and badminton with your friends, these small, repeated actions can help foster lasting connections.”

To learn more about World Mental Health Day, head to www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day.

Photo: Young Canadians often reported feeling disconnected from their community, according to the YMCA Connections Snapshot survey.