Mission & Vision
Advancing Youth Mental Health Research in Quebec
Our Mission : From Clinical Research to Early Intervention
Our mission extends beyond generating knowledge; we bridge the gap between scientific research and the delivery of youth mental health services.
We achieve this through three core pillars:
- World-Class Training: Empowering a new generation of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinicians.
- Inclusive Expertise: Uniquely integrating the voices of individuals with lived experience.
- Equity & Evidence: Ensuring mental health equity and evidence-based care for conditions such as early psychosis and depression.
Our Vision : Transforming Youth Mental Health through Innovation
Our vision is to empower every family touched by mental illness to become champions of a brighter future. By leading a collaborative network that bridges McGill University, the Douglas Research Centre, the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and partner across Montreal, we aim to transform the mental health ecosystem into a beacon of hope.
Through digital mental health tools and global knowledge translation, we ensure that targeted early intervention, suicide prevention, and crisis support are integrated and accessible to all.
Why Youth Mental Health Matters?
Young people make up more than a quarter of the global population, yet mental health disorders remain the leading burden of disease facing this demographic
How many Canadian youth are affected by mental illness?
1.6M Canadian youth affected by mental illness
How many youth are affected worldwide?
1-in-5 youth live with a mental illness worldwide
When do symptoms appear?
75% of adults with mental illness developed symptoms before reaching age 25
- Early Detection: Most serious mental disorders emerge during youth. Our focus on early intervention and preventive mental health is critical to reducing long-term disability.
- Cutting-Edge Diagnostics: We use neuroimaging (MRI, MEG) and vocal markers to identify early signs of psychosis relapse and disorganized communication.
- Community Impact: By focusing on community mental health, we ensure that research leads to better well-being for youth across Quebec and beyond.
What is the CEYMH and How Does it Contribute?
A Collaborative Hub for Youth Mental Health Innovation
Based in Montreal, the Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health (CEYMH) was established in 2022, fueled by landmark support from the Graham Boeckh Foundation, a leader in integrated youth services in Canada. Building on the pioneering vision of Dr. Ashok Malla, the CEYMH serves as a premier platform for knowledge translation, bridging the gap between clinical research and real-world impact.
The CEYMH fosters strategic alliances between researchers and clinical teams to accelerate service innovation, mental health research, and specialized clinical training. By leveraging local expertise in youth development and integrated care models like ACCESS Open Minds and Aire ouverte, we focus on two transformative pillars:
Prevention-Focused Services: Developing proactive models to identify early signs of distress.
Early Intervention: Evaluating and supporting the development and implementation of evidence-based treatments to improve long-term outcomes for serious mental disorders.
Our 4 Strategic Principles
Our work is guided by a commitment to excellence and mental health :
- Multidisciplinary Research: Combining neuroscience, epidemiology, and behavioral sciences through diverse methodologies.
- Innovation in Service Delivery: Transforming how youth mental health services are accessed and delivered in Quebec.
- Advanced Training: Empowering the next generation of healthcare professionals, scientists, and lived experience experts.
- Advocacy & Policy: Shaping health and social policy to ensure sustainable support for youth.