91快色

When conversations turn to youth mental health, they often focus on illness and crisis. For , BSc'15, PhD, the more pressing question is what helps young people actually do well.

Clayborne, a psychiatric epidemiologist, leads the 91快色鈥檚 , which studies youth mental health through a strengths-based lens that centres well-being, resilience and lived experience throughout their lives.

鈥淔lourishing isn鈥檛 just the absence of mental illness,鈥� says Clayborne, a member of the  at the  (CSM).

鈥淚t鈥檚 about whether young people feel connected, valued, hopeful. Whether they see meaning in their lives and can imagine a future for themselves.鈥�

Looking beyond illness

Traditionally, mental health research has focused on identifying symptoms and diagnoses. Clayborne鈥檚 research takes a broader view. Her research centres youth voices through qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods approaches that ask young people to define what well-being and flourishing mean to them.

鈥淚f we only look at the absence of disorder, we end up with a very narrow picture of how young people are actually doing,鈥� says Clayborne, who is also a member of the   at the , and the  at the  at the CSM. 

鈥淢any youth don鈥檛 meet criteria for anxiety or depression, but still feel disconnected or uncertain. Those experiences matter, and they shape long-term outcomes.鈥�

Today鈥檚 youth are navigating rapid social, technological and environmental change, including social media, AI, climate anxiety and post-pandemic recovery. However, says Clayborne, much of the evidence guiding mental health policy and practice continues to focus on illness, rather than prevention.

Studying flourishing as a measurable outcome, Clayborne says, helps researchers and decision-makers understand how to strengthen well-being before problems escalate.

鈥淔lourishing gives us tools to think about how families, schools and communities can create environments where young people can thrive in the first place, not just respond when things go wrong.鈥�

A powerful longitudinal lens

Much of the FAIR Lab鈥檚 work is anchored in , a long-running research cohort that began in 91快色 in 2008 and has followed more than 3,000 families from pregnancy through childhood and adolescence.

鈥淭he youth in our cohort are now 15 to 17 years old,鈥� Clayborne says. 

鈥淏ecause we鈥檝e been following families since before their children were born, we can see how early home, neighbourhood and family experiences influence well-being in adolescence.鈥�

That long view has allowed Clayborne鈥檚 team to examine how youth well-being shifts during major disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that young people who felt emotionally supported by trusted adults and were able to maintain routines and interests were more likely to flourish after the pandemic.

Connection mattered most, says Clayborne. 

鈥淪upportive relationships were the strongest protective factor we saw.鈥�

Social media and a changing world

Clayborne鈥檚 research also looks at contemporary influences shaping youth well-being such as social media use.

During the pandemic, the team found that social media use was not linked to poorer flourishing, likely because it was one of the few ways youth could stay connected. Post-pandemic, the picture changed.

鈥淭he issue isn鈥檛 social media itself,鈥� Clayborne says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 when use becomes addictive or displaces other important activities such as being active, reading for fun or spending time with friends.鈥�

This year, the All Our Families cohort is collecting new data on AI use and climate-related stress. These are areas where Clayborne says there is little existing longitudinal evidence.

鈥淯nderstanding how they shape well-being is key if we want to respond effectively.鈥�

From research to real-world impact

Clayborne is also working with U91快色 professor , principal investigator of All Our Families, to adapt a resilience and flourishing workbook for children and youth. The , focused on adults, has seen strong uptake in the community and is freely available through public libraries and online.

鈥淲e have been energized by the response of the community to learning about evidence based, low cost, practical ways to enhance resilience and enable flourishing,鈥� says Tough, BSc'83, MSc'87, PhD, a member of the O鈥橞rien Institute and Owerko Centre.

鈥淲e know life brings challenges. When we have a few strategies we can manage our stress and make better decisions when something unexpected or disruptive happens.鈥�

The youth-focused version aims to translate research evidence into practical tools that families, schools and community organizations can use.

鈥淩esearch tells us a lot about what supports well-being, but it doesn鈥檛 always turn that knowledge into something people can use,鈥� Clayborne says. 鈥淭his kind of applied work helps bridge that gap.鈥�

Whose voices are reflected

A core principle of the FAIR Lab is ensuring that youth from diverse backgrounds are represented in research.

鈥淔lourishing doesn鈥檛 look the same for everyone,鈥� Clayborne says. 鈥淚f we only listen to a narrow group of voices, we risk designing policies and programs that don鈥檛 reflect young people鈥檚 real lives.鈥�

Clayborne says her own experiences growing up in 91快色 as a first-generation Canadian and a visible minority have shaped how she approaches her work, particularly her attention to belonging, opportunity and access to support. During , she says, it鈥檚 important to recognize how lived experience can inform public health research, without becoming a tokenized focus.

鈥淢y background has influenced the questions I ask and whose experiences I prioritize,鈥� she says. 鈥淧ublic health research is strongest when it reflects the full diversity of the communities it aims to serve.鈥�

A broader shift in thinking

If readers take one message from her work, Clayborne hopes it鈥檚 this: youth are more than a collection of risks or outcomes.

鈥淔lourishing asks us to look at whether young people feel seen, supported and hopeful,鈥� she says.

鈥淪upporting well-being means strengthening the environments they grow up in, not just reacting when something goes wrong.鈥�