Funding outcome

Children and youth who were exposed to alcohol prenatally experience considerably more mental health challenges than children who were not. They are much more likely to face difficulties with their mood and anxiety, and tragically, up to 19 and a half times more likely to end their life with suicide. Clearly, the current approach to addressing and supporting mental health in this vulnerable population is not sufficient. However, few researchers have tackled this troubling subject. Our research team aims to change that. Specifically, we are interested in exploring how mood, anxiety, and symptoms of suicidality in young people with prenatal alcohol exposure are related to their levels of perceived social support. 'Perceived social support' refers to the belief that others can and would help provide help when needed. Higher levels of perceived support have consistently been linked to better mental health outcomes - including lower rates of mood and anxiety disorders and suicidality - in typically-developing children and youth, but this relationship has not been examined in those with prenatal alcohol exposure. What makes perceived social support a particularly exciting area of research for this population is that it is not strongly linked to the actual receipt of supportive actions from others, which are often out of our control; rather, it is a personal belief, and one that evidence suggests can be changed with the help of relatively cost-effective interventions. With this in mind, our study has two goals. First and foremost, we want to better understand mental health in young people with prenatal alcohol exposure, and in particular, how their perceptions of social support relate to their mood, anxiety, and symptoms of suicidality. Second, we want to share the findings of our study in creative and accessible ways so that the results can reach a wide variety of people invested in improving outcomes in this population, including our fellow researchers, health professionals, community partners, caregivers, and individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure. By doing this, we will be able to take the first steps towards applying our findings to the development of more effective mental health supports for young people with prenatal alcohol exposure, and in turn, improving health outcomes in this unique and vulnerable population.