At the May 7 meeting of the Gorham Town Council, 2023 data results from the state’s Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) were the subject of a presentation by Gorham resident Brooke Proulx. Proulx, a social worker at Gorham Middle School, presented the results on behalf of Gorham Action Team for Youth (GATY), a community group of diverse stakeholders whose mission is to reduce risks and improve outcomes for the health of youth in Gorham.
The MIYHS is a statewide health survey that has been conducted every two years by the Maine Departments of Education and Health and Human Services since 2009. The survey is informed by national health surveys and is carefully designed and calculated to ensure the integrity of the information gathered. The data from the completely anonymous and voluntary survey that is conducted in grades 5-12 classrooms across the state is used to inform local, state and national community health efforts, including prevention and education.
The survey varies by grade level and may include questions that help determine trends for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or vaping use, mental health, bullying, school climate, sexual health and decision making, nutrition and physical activity, as well as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and protective factors or factors for resilience.
The data were presented separately for middle school and high school. Based on responses of the 530 of 800 GHS students who elected to take the survey, the following percentage of high school respondents reported use during the past 30 days of: alcohol 24%; marijuana 17%; illicit use of prescription drugs 5%; cigarettes 4% and vaping devices 12%. Reports of the use of all have gone up since 2021 but have not shown a statistically significant increase.
Known risk factors for use of illicit substances by youth include a low perception of harm or consequence, and ease of access to substances.
71% of GHS students reported that they have “sort of” or “very” easy access to alcohol, which is significantly higher than 2021’s reported ease of access at 61%, and higher than the statewide average of 63%. 52% of students report ease of access to marijuana, up from 43% in 2021, but slightly lower than the state’s average of 54%.
The percentage of Gorham high school students who perceive “no” or “some” risk of harm related to daily drinking (31%), regular binge drinking (10%), and non-prescribed prescription drug use (9%) is relatively unchanged when examining the data for the past ten years but remains lower than the state’s averages.
The MIYHS also tracks environmental risk factors Maine youth face. 14% of Gorham High School students reported that violence or the threat of violence in the home made them want to leave home, even for a short time. 2% report housing instability, while 29% of GHS students reported living with an adult with a drug or alcohol disordered use. 31% of GHS students reported feeling depressed for 2 or more weeks in the past year, and 15% reported that they seriously considered attempting suicide in the last 12 months.
But there is good news in the data. When looking at factors for resilience, it is clear that supportive and engaged adults are playing an important role. Of those who said they felt sad or hopeless, 36% reported seeking help from a trusted adult, 3% indicating that help came from a school staff member. 91% of students agree that their families have clear rules about alcohol and drug use, and 86% of students agree that their family gives them love and support “most of the time” or “always.” 84% of students reported that their parents talk with them about what they are doing at school every day or once or twice a week. More than half, 58% of students feel like they matter to people in their community.
The councilors expressed gratitude for the information and asked insightful questions. Councilor Gagnon thanked Proulx for the work she does and asked about the impacts due to the legalization of marijuana, to which Proulx explained both the schools’ health curriculum on the topic, and the importance of adults properly storing their marijuana in homes to reduce youth access. Councilor Wilder-Cross asked about how students are accessing prescription medication, to which Proulx noted anecdotal examples and the benefits of disposing unused prescriptions in the dropbox at Gorham Police Department, available 24 hours a day. Councilor Siegel noted their alarm at the data related to suicide, noting that 15% of GHS students is 120 youth who are reporting thinking about suicide. Proulx talked about the mental health crisis we are seeing statewide, and the need for destigmatizing and increasing access to mental health supports.
Siegel asked what the community and Town Council can do to address these issues, noting that supporting youth is not just the schools’ responsibility. Proulx asked for more collaboration with the Town Council on the free community information and education opportunities that GATY provides, noting that GATY currently is unfunded. She asked for their help in engaging community members to get involved and to attend community learning events focused on how best to support our youth.
The next issue of the Gorham Times will examine Gorham Middle School MIYHS data.