The Canadian Federation of Students Nova Scotia’s (CFS-NS) most recent initiative addressing poor mental health among post-secondary students.
“Mental Health Matters” is the first program of its kind in Canada, initiated by Nova Scotia students whose mandate is to “promote a better understanding of mental health issues, and as a result promote more accessible, better-funded mental health services for students.”
Mental illness affects approximately 20 per cent or one in five Canadians in their lifetime according the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). However, the CMHA also said 10 to 20 per cent of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder, and that suicide is the leading cause of death among youth aged 18-24 years of age.
Of those affected, 80 per cent of Canadian youth will not receive an adequate amount of treatment for mental health related issues such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and suicidal tendencies, according to the CMHA.
According to Dr. David Pilon, program leader for Specialty Mental Health Services at Capital Health, 75 per cent of mental health illness start before the age of 25. This means university students fall in the high-risk category of developing mental illness, before even considering environmental factors, tough life situations, or a genetic predisposition to mental illness.
“Student mental health has been a growing concern for years . . . Students have become very concerned with, often, the lack of services of campus,” Anna Dubinski, chairwoman of the CFS-NS said in an interview with Global News Toronto on Sept. 3.
“The challenges faced by many students, including moving away from home, part-time jobs, and academic pressures, can exacerbate mental health issues,” Dubinski said.
She added that student debt may be the primary factor.
“Increasing tuition fees and student mental health aren’t different issues. They’re actually one and the same,” Dubinski said.
“Mental health is an ongoing concern. There is lots of work to do and it’s great to work with CFS and with the students on improving access to these services,” said Nick Hatt, Dean of Students at the University of King’s College.
According to Hatt, the need for initiatives like Mental Health Matters is immense and if more Canadian post-secondary institutions step up to the plate, it will make huge advances in addressing the issue of youth mental illness.
