In the past week, were you aware of dryness in your mouth?
Did you experience trembling in your hands? Did you find it difficult to work up initiative? Did you feel like you had nothing to look forward to?
These are just some of the questions on the Mood Check Quiz, one of a number of online quizzes for teens and young adults on the Mind Check website (www.mindcheck.ca).
The site was designed specifically for youth ages 13-25 as a first-step screening tool for young people to recognize possible early signs of five conditions: depression, anxiety, stress, substance use and psychosis. The site also offers links to resources that may provide more information or tips and strategies to prevent those issues from escalating.
"I think kids have a sense that they know they're struggling, but they may not necessarily know why or what really is going on," says Nicole Chovil, project coordinator for the website. "Our goal really is to try and hopefully get folks thinking about what's going on with them and to get them to help, be it self-help resources or even just talking with someone before they get to that point where they really need to seek professional help." Mindcheck.ca was started in 2009 as part of an early intervention project by the Fraser Health authority. In 2010, Fraser Health partnered with B.C. Mental Health and Addiction Services to expand the website into a provincial resource for youth and young adults.
Recently, the website got a boost from the Vancouver Canucks when the team made a donation to the program and participated in videos to promote the site.
"We're really grateful to the Canucks. They were amazing in terms of support," says Chovil.
Information from mindcheck.ca states that mental health and substance use disorders are primary health issues experienced by young people, and Chovil notes that the teen years and early 20s are a time when youth experience a lot of change. She says it's a "prime age at which there is increased risk."
Many early symptoms of mental health conditions become noticeable in adolescence and young
