Overview

• The study analyzed self-reported data from 12,368 students in grades 7–12 in the 2015, 2017, and 2019 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey across up to 52 school boards.
• Black females consistently reported lower service use than White peers, with the gap widening as distress increased.
• Black males were more likely than White counterparts to use services at low distress, then showed sharply lower odds once distress reached moderate levels.
• Authors report crisis-driven pathways to care for Black youth, including justice-system contact or intensive interventions, and note punitive responses often faced by Black boys.
• Researchers identify racism, inaccessible and culturally nonresponsive services, and stigma as key barriers, while highlighting persistent data gaps on racialized youth in Canada.