National Child and Youth Mental Health Day: Supporting Child & Youth Mental Health

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National Child and Youth Mental Health Day is observed annually across Canada on May 7th (including May 7, 2026) to raise awareness about young people’s psychological well-being and foster supportive, open conversations between children, youth, and caring adults. First established to reduce stigma surrounding youth mental health, Child and Youth Mental Health Day emphasizes that early recognition, empathetic parenting, and timely professional care are essential for healthy child development. In Ontario, supporting youth mental health requires addressing modern challenges—such as pervasive screen time, academic pressure, and emotional regulation—by establishing a balanced foundation of warmth and consistent structure in the home. Registered Psychotherapists (RP), Registered Social Workers (RSW), and Psychologists (C.Psych) play a key role in guiding families through child and adolescent mental health concerns.

Understanding National Child and Youth Mental Health Day

It’s not a shock to most people that mental health issues are on the rise. We are fortunate in the modern era to have access to technology that widely disseminates information, and more awareness campaigns are bringing attention to mental health struggles, such as the Bell Let’s Talk campaign. These initiatives are designed to decrease the stigma around mental health issues and make people aware of the very real struggle that exists for so many individuals.

What people are perhaps less aware of, however, are mental health issues in children and adolescents. National Child and Youth Mental Health Day is a dedicated day for creating not only general awareness for mental health struggles, but paying particular attention to these difficulties for children and youth.

Growing Up in the 21st Century: Modern Challenges for Youth Mental Health

I can only imagine what growing up as a child in the 21st century is like. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, the television had already laid its roots and was a mainstay in the home. At the end of a long day, families would gather around the television to be entertained by the latest episode of Cheers or The Wonder Years. While prevalent in the home, television screen time was predominantly an evening ritual.

The more recent technological advances of smartphones and tablets have made screen time far more incessant and ubiquitous. While these advancements have provided greater convenience and specialized provisions, they have certainly come at a cost. The cost is that many children and adolescents (and parents too!) struggle to self-regulate their emotions and behaviour around screens.

Our children are inundated with screens, and with every click and tap comes a surge of dopamine that reinforces their craving for more. With 7 screens in the average household, parents are presented with a challenge never before experienced by any previous generation. This challenge has created havoc in many homes as parents try to navigate tantrums and emotional meltdowns over loss of a video game or an iPhone (see our guide on understanding teen cell phone addictions).

Amidst these new parenting struggles, it’s important to be reminded that while times are changing with widespread advancements in technology, people are fundamentally the same as they’ve always been. 21st-century children are still fundamentally children, and they have the same core emotional and developmental needs as always.

Principled Parenting for Child and Youth Mental Health

In my role as a psychotherapist at Bayridge Counselling Centres in Ontario, I’ve recognized the key role of parenting based on two fundamental principles: warmth and structure.

The Role of Warmth in Youth Mental Health

Children need warmth. Warmth refers to all those characteristics that make us feel safe and secure. Warmth includes love, acceptance, nurture, affection, encouragement, and validation.

Children who do not regularly receive warmth are often insecure in themselves and fearful throughout life. They learn to expect that others will harm them in some way and are very distrusting of the world around them. Consequently, children who grow up in homes with little warmth tend to struggle to form close relationships, largely because they never quite feel confident and comfortable with who they are. When emotional disconnect occurs within the family unit, addressing underlying communication problems in families can help restore trust and safety.

The Role of Structure and Behavioural Boundaries

Children also need structure. Structure refers to the implementation of rules, boundaries, expectations, routine, and a schedule.

Children of permissive parents, where structure is neglected, end up without much self-discipline and self-regulation as adults. In turn, they tend to struggle to learn important social, academic, work, and life skills that help them be successful. From early on in life, problem-solving and decision-making skills lag behind, often resulting in lower academic achievement throughout their upbringing. For families managing specific developmental or behavioural challenges, evidence-based interventions like parent training for ADHD and challenging behaviour can provide practical tools for establishing healthy boundaries.

Practical Takeaways for Parents on Youth Mental Health Day

In my role as a psychotherapist, I frequently ask parents to reflect on their parenting approach through the lens of these principles: “Is your strength in providing warmth or structure?”

It’s quite natural to be stronger in one principle and weaker in the other. What’s important, however, is that we take notice of our parenting in relationship to these principles and work towards a holistic balancing of the two. Either principle applied independently of the other is insufficient to meet a child’s core needs.

I don’t often provide parents with specific rules around structuring screen time because everyone’s life circumstance is unique, and every child is different. Nonetheless, I offer parents this perspective on prioritizing warmth and structure as they seek to raise well-adjusted, healthy, and happy children. By no means is this a be-all and end-all solution, but it can serve as a useful guide by which we can navigate the difficulties of parenting more confidently and effectively.

As you navigate the challenges of modern-day parenting, filter your actions through the lens of warmth and structure. Regularly ask yourself:

• “Am I tilting too far towards warmth or structure?”
• “Am I emphasizing one principle while neglecting the other?”

By regularly reflecting on your parenting in this way, you can quickly reorient yourself to a more balanced parenting approach.

Supporting Youth Mental Health in Ontario

Always remember that mental health for children and youth is as real as the air we breathe. On National Child and Youth Mental Health Day, let’s be mindful of the very real struggles young people face, while also striving to be the best support system we can be for our children and the next generation.

If your child or teenager is struggling with anxiety, mood concerns, or behavioural difficulties, support is available. Bayridge Counselling Centres provides confidential counselling across multiple locations in Ontario, staffed by Registered Psychotherapists (RP), Registered Social Workers (RSW), and Registered Psychologists (C.Psych) dedicated to child, youth, and family well-being.