Students at the University of Toronto (U of T) are rallying behind a recent petition to improve mental health services on campus following the death of first-year student, Keshav Mayya.
The petition was started by first-year U of T student, Nejat Ahmed, in order to bring attention to mental health on campus and push for significant change in the mental health services offered by the university.
“I want to show the school that this can no longer be swept under the rug, this has to be addressed,” Ahmed said. “[U of T administration] have to come through with the proper reforms and changes to console people in the future.”
The university was ranked the top university in Canada by World University Rankings 2020. But Ahmed says she doesn’t believe her school deserves that designation.
“U of T is one of the best schools in Canada; they need to have mental health services that hold itself to that same standard,” Ahmed said.
The school currently offers 45-to 60-minute same-day counselling sessions which are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. However, Ahmed said this is not enough to support the number of students that attend the university.
“Imagine the month-long backlog that students would have to face in order to get one-on-one session,” Ahmed said.
Jan Lim, a fourth-year U of T student, recently wrote an op-ed in Nouvelle News on the structural issues surrounding mental health services on campus.
Lim said in an interview with the Charlatan that one student, who she spoke to for the op-ed, anonymously shared that after speaking to mental health services on campus about their suicidal thoughts, they had to wait four months to get access to a psychologist through the university.
Other issues with U of T’s mental health services are a lack of promotion of the mental health services available to first-year and second-year students, as well as the leave policy mandated by the university.
The university’s leave of absence policy means the school can place a student experiencing “serious mental health” issues on a mandatory leave of absence.
“You’re still enrolled, but they will ask that you don’t participate in any academic activities,” Lim said.
Although Lim said there could be benefits to taking time off, she noted that several students told her they were allegedly removed from campus and cut off from campus services, even before the leave policy was put in place in 2015.
The pandemic has also affected the mental health of many students, creating an even bigger need for improved mental health services.
“It was already an isolating academic environment at U of T,” Lim said. “ Then with COVID-19, people are feeling that isolation even more.”
Lim said she believes the stress of working full time in addition to school, and sometimes difficult family situations, has been made worse by COVID-19.
“COVID-19 is really highlighting a lot of issues that were already here before,” Lim said.
Mental health services at U of T
Marie-Pierre Daigle, co-president of the Mental Health Committee at the University of Ottawa, worked on a report titled Graduate Students In Psychology’s Mental Health:Needs Assessment Findings, that showcased the leading causes of stress among students at the University of Ottawa.
The report focused on stress levels of graduate students and found that the top three causes of stress are thesis work, work overload and a lack of work-life balance.
Daigle said mental health services for students are especially important during the transition from high school to university.
“It’s important that [students] get the support to make sure that they’re performing as best as they can in their program, as they have to juggle their thesis, their course, and all of the other requirements that they have in university,” Daigle said.
In an email statement to the Charlatan, Micah Stickel, U of T’s vice provost (students), expressed condolences towards Mayya’s family and friends.
In 2019, Stickel said the university implemented 21 recommendations to improve mental health services based on input from students and faculty, adding that the university will continue to work on improving its mental health services.
In 2019, there was a push from students to improve the university’s mental health services after four suicides on campus occured that year.
“We are considering all the ways we can work together, within U of T, with healthcare providers in the community, government partners, hospitals, student groups and others to tackle what is an enormous and difficult challenge,” Stickel said.
However, Ahmed said students at U of T cannot forget to continue pushing for changes to the current mental health services on campus.
“You have a voice. Use that voice to fight for more change,” she said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, contact:
Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914 (within Ottawa) and 1-866-996-0991 (outside Ottawa)
Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region 24-hour Line: 613-238-3311
Youth Services Bureau 24/7 Crisis Line: 613-260-2360 or 1-877-377-7775 (toll)
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
