Whether you’re finishing an assignment at 3 a.m. or trying to study for three different midterm exams at the same time, university can be an anxious, stress-filled experience.
With constant media coverage of high-profile suicides on campuses, mental health on campus has become a hot-button issue.
According to a student mental health and wellness study commissioned by Queen’s University, mental health is an increasing issue among young adults in Canada.
The study itself was commissioned because of the university’s high suicide rate. The study urged Queen’s to recognize suicide as one of the leading causes of death among university students.
It recommended Queen’s promote a culture of health and wellness, while also acknowledging the importance of directly addressing mental illness.
Depression, anxiety, addictions, substance abuse and eating disorders are among the most common mental health issues students face, according to Melanie Drew, director of health services at Concordia University.
“The term mental health issue is broad and all-encompassing,” Drew said.
“There are other times when issues can be debilitating, and others where you can manage pretty well, just that you’re not at your optimal potential.
She said students and staff alike have to address the stigma associated with mental health issues.
“People are afraid of having the label of mental illness, because people think other people will think of them differently or it will affect them later on in the workplace,” she said.
Anne Bowker, a Carleton psychology professor with an expertise in adolescent development, said mental health is a significant component of university, especially first-year university.
“I think perhaps for years Ontario universities haven’t been spending as much time as they should on these services. We need more counsellors, more psychologists, more people on campus to help with mental health issues,” Bowker said.
At the same time, she said universities have improved the services already in place to help students in need.
“I think there could be more students who are experiencing difficulties, but . . . there are [also] a lot more support services available than there used to be, even in the last 10 or 12 years,” she said.
And although universities may have bettered the programs they have in place, more and more students are afflicted with mental health issues and seeking help.
“Mental health services in general in Ontario, in Ottawa, there’s not enough,” Bowker said.
“Budgets are perennial issues, but that should be a place where we put more money.”
The most important thing, according to Bowker, is informing students and faculty alike of the services available to them.
What does Carleton have to offer?
Carleton provides students with on-campus Health and Wellness Services. Their website offers emergency information as well as links to make counselling appointments and help finding a doctor.
Along with professional counselling, Health and Wellness Services provide peer support groups.
Other institutions on campus put in place to help combat these issues include: the Womyn’s Centre, who offer a non-judgmental atmosphere for women; the GLBTQ Centre, “dedicated to raising awareness about queer issues at Carleton and beyond,” according to their website; the Race, Ethnicity and Culture Hall, who attempt to maintain an oppression and prejudice-free environment; and the Carleton Disability Awareness Centre, who advocate for and accommodate the disabled, as well as educate the public.
Bowker said faculty are encouraged to take a workshop that teaches them how to deal with students in class who are having mental health issues. In her opinion, informing faculty about the resources available to students is one of the most important steps in helping students.
In addition, more and more students are beginning to support one another. Facebook pages like “Carleton U Compliments,” inspired by a similar Queen’s page, and “Carleton U Non-Random Acts of Kindness” are springing up.
While support from other students is helpful to an extent, Bowker said it is still important to know what else Carleton has to offer.
“If you have concerns about a friend of yours who hasn’t been to class for a couple of weeks, there are some things you can do to help them out,” Bowker said.
“But if you know someone who’s depressed or thinking of harming themselves, mental health services have to get involved.”
Ensuring universities have resources in place to help students is crucial, according to Drew.
“There may be higher incidents of mental illness or great difficulties, and there may not,” Drew said.
“Whether there is an increase or not, the most important thing is making sure the resources are in place to deal with it.”
“We can advertise about our services, we can go to orientations, but somehow we can’t seem to get the message out to everyone. It’s staggering and hard, and may be a function of being a large urban university,” she said.
Quick Tips
The Canadian Mental Health Association emphasizes reaching a balance among all the aspects in your life: social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental. Its website provides a few quick tips to help you strike and maintain that balance.
These include building healthy self-esteem, creating positive family relationships, and making friends who count.
Another tip from the association is to focus on doing one task at once, instead of multitasking.
Jonathan Capaldi, a first-year sociology student at Carleton, said students shouldn’t try to multi-task.
“Don’t think about how much there is to do, just think about what you’re doing until it’s done then move on to the next task,” Capaldi said.
Another tip is to find ways to deal with stress, by for example taking time off to relax. Kirk Cushing, a third-year environmental studies student, said he likes to take nature vacations.
“It doesn’t matter what exam, time of year, or situation, nothing beats taking time to walk throughout Ottawa or Carleton,” Cushing said.
Drew said students, like the rest of the population, have issues that they’re dealing with.
“Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you’re immune to those issues,” she said.
“They’re fairly common and they need to be addressed.”
“I personally go home to do a little dogsledding and cuddle up on my puppies, but I know I’m special in that department.”
