The Well-Being Gap: Highlighting challenges and supports for gender diverse youth health in BC, 2018-2023 outlines a story of both encouragements and setbacks in the health and well-being of gender diverse youth in BC.
September 20, 2024
This report, a collaboration between the Stigma and Resilience in Youth Centre and the McCreary Centre Society, summarizes the findings from the 2023 BC Adolescent Health Survey distributed to around 38,500 public school students from grades 7 to 12, with a focus on gender diverse students - youth who self-describe as trans girls, trans boys, nonbinary, or questioning.
All students answered questions relating to physical, mental, and sexual health, substance use, relationships, school and family life, and so on. This report compares data from five years ago with data gathered in 2023.
At the back of the survey, youth were given an opportunity to offer their thoughts, and their voices are given space in the report, like this one from a 16-year-old trans boy:
Just make the schools better. School is not a safe place for LGBTQ+ students...
Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc and Dr. Annie Smith, adjunct professor and executive director of McCreary on behalf of their research teams, released the report on September 19, 2024.
Media Attention:
The Globe and Mail (Paywall)
CBC News (Start at 5:44 mark)