The results of a comprehensive new report from UNICEF show that Canada is a tough place for kids to grow up.
Only 55 per cent of children in Canada report a high level of life satisfaction, with 27 per cent feeling sad or hopeless for long periods of time and 1 in 3 reporting weekly symptoms linked to mental distress, including headaches and stomach aches.
The statistics are part of the key findings from the first baseline report of the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-being, released today by UNICEF Canada's One Youth initiative.
Other findings include:
" 1 in 4 young people sometimes goes to bed or school hungry;
" More than a third of young people experience discrimination;
" 27 per cent are often bullied and 28 per cent get in fights;
" Only 43 per cent feel supported by teachers and merely 3 per cent feel comfortable being themselves at school;
UNICEF Canada concludes that rising income inequality and economic insecurity is negatively affecting all aspects of life of the kids in Canada, including mental health, relationships and happiness.