About Us

Hey! We're Chrysalism. We're a site made by teenagers to help Indigenous youth who are struggling with their mental health. Please keep in mind that we are in no way experts, and it's important to talk to someone who is if your issues are serious.

Depression is a common and life-changing mental illness in the Canadian population. This is especially true for Indigenous people, who experience major depression at twice the national average. A 1997 survey found that 16% of Indigenous adults living on a reserve experienced major depression, compared to 8% of the general Canadian population. Of the Indigenous people in the study who experienced depression, 26% said that depression interfered with their lives, compared to 16% of the overall Canadian population.

Rates of suicide are reported to be 5 to 7 times higher for Indigenous youth living on reserve (Kielland & Simeone, 2014; Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], 2006). Additionally, Indigenous people living on and off reserve, Métis and Inuit, die by suicide by a higher rate than non-Indigenous people. Suicide rates from the Centre of Suicide Prevention (2013) found that suicide rates for Indigenous males age 15-24 are 126 per 100 000 compared to the 24 per 100 000 for non-Indigenous. For females, Indigenous rates are 35 per 100 000 vs 5 per 100 000 for non-Indigenous. Depression rates in Indigenous people are higher for both male and female, for both on and off reserves.