Project Activities

Phase 1: Listening to Young Adults

At the start of the project we reached out to young adults through surveys, interviews and focus groups to find out what they would want to know if they were experiencing a problem with stress, anxiety or depression. This work has involved young adults from the community at large, from colleges and universities, and those in the community who are experiencing or have experienced significant emotional distress or difficulties.

We asked:

• What information do young adults, like you or your friends, want about mental health;
• Where would young adults be most likely to look for this information;
• How would young adults like to receive this information;
• Whom might young adults contact for information;
• When is it best for young adults to receive this information;
• What kind of situations might prevent young adults from getting the relevant information they need.

Watch this video to see how young adults responded to those questions

Our online surveys are powered by SurveyGizmo survey software

Phase 2: Locating the information young adults want

Through Phase 1 we were able to speak to many young adults about what information they wanted to know about mental health concerns like stress, anxiety and depression. After listening to young adults, we used the methods of knowledge synthesis to locate scientific information required to answer questions identified by young adults as being important.

To locate and organize this information we developed small teams with the responsibility to research, collect and select the best information from scientific studies that matched the questions idenfied by young adults. These teams then created summaries of information in each topic area.

Phase 3: Developing youth-friendly resources

We are currently in Phase 3 of Mobilizing Minds. In Phase 3 we are taking the information from the summaries we created in Phase 2 and are developing youth-friendly information resources for young adults.

Our contacts with young adults indicate that many are interested in having access to information via the internet while others are more interested in access to more traditional information such as brochures. Many are interested in access to information by speaking to a trusted person such as a counselor or a family doctor. We are developing information tools in plain language suitable for each of these situations. We are currently in this phase and preparing for Phase 4.

Phase 4: Evaluating our resources

As we complete the resources in different formats, we are connecting with young adults, their supporters and professionals who serve them to tell us what they think about the resources.

We want to know if Mobilizing Minds resources will help young adults to be well informed about common problems and the sources of help available. We also hope to find whether young adults who receive this information are more likely to seek help if they need it.

After we get this feedback we will update our resources to make sure they are as helpful as possible for young adults.

Phase 5: Sharing our Resources

In Phase 5, with the help of community stakeholders and partners, we will share and disseminate resources for young adults in a variety of formats across Canada in both official languages. We will use the help of organizations and professionals who serve young adults.