This report was published by the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

Recognizing the need for early intervention, this report seeks to capture and understand the experiences of racialized girls and gender nonconforming youth and what is necessary to support their mental health and wellbeing as they enter adolescence (ages 9 to 13). Specifically, this report implements a systematic review of the literature on the mental health of two equity-deserving groups: 1) Two Spirit, Trans, Nonbinary & Questioning girls and youth, and 2) Black, Indigenous, and racialized girls. This report also implements focus groups with youth from these community groups and service providers from youth-serving organizations to understand strengths and gaps in programming. This report also considers intersectional challenges that arise among gender nonconforming and racialized youth, and how such challenges can impact their mental health.

Research methods contributing to this report are discussed, followed by a summary of existing literature outlining the present mental health landscape among gender nonconforming and racialized youth. The primary data collected for this report inform a subsequent discussion on effective programming strategies for addressing the needs of these demographics. This report concludes with a discussion on the findings, acknowledging limitations, and proposing recommendations for enhancing youth mental health programs.