Volume 1, Issue 1: Post-Secondary Mental Health

Alexa Battler (Author) • Adley Lobo (Photo Editor) • Tomeo Ho (Designer)
Alexa Battler (Author) • Adley Lobo (Photo Editor) • Tomeo Ho (Designer)
empirically successful model for an
effective and inspiring mental health
facility.
“The Pan Am Centre is a huge opportunity,”
says Scott McRoberts, Director of
Athletics and Recreation at UTSC. “The
best thing about it is that it’s a new
centre, which means that it adds tons of
different elements. If you don’t like to
throw a ball, then maybe you’ll do well
on a wall and you should try out the
rock climbing walls.”
“
If you don’t like to throw
a ball, then maybe you’ll do
well on a wall and you should
try out the rock climbing walls.
McRoberts’ statement is even backed
by scientific research. Different types
of exercise act as a protective barrier
against certain mental health symptoms,
and so, different impact and
intensity levels are required for each
individual student. In 2006, the American
National Centre for Biotechnology
found that aerobic exercises, including
running, swimming, biking, and walking
were proven most effective in reducing
symptoms of anxiety and depression [4].
The same centre also found that low impact
exercises are preferable for those
with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and
schizophrenia; this could include yoga,
walking, or using modified moves and
activities while exercising [4].
Psychology Today, a magazine that aims
to better disseminate scientific research
to the public, also found that swimming
tops other exercises for the treatment
of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder symptoms [5]. Another study
published in Biological Psychology found
that for those who cannot exercise, or
who require very low impact activities,
meditation is effective to gain similar
cerebral benefits to exercise [6].
All of the aforementioned activities are
offered at TPASC, along with a variety
of ways to get physically active - making
it ideal for accommodating those hoping
to strengthen their mental health,
lessen symptoms of mental illness, and
increase overall well-being.
“The Pan Am Centre is a safe space with
no judgement,” says McRoberts. “We
can accommodate every skill level and
experience level. There are programs
where trainers teach you how to use all
the equipment or do the moves. It is really
for everyone.”
“
The Pan Am Centre is a
safe space with no judgement.
Perhaps due to its promotional hashtag,
#APlace4U, the 312,000 square foot
centre has not been intimidating to the
majority of UTSC students. As McRoberts
states, the centre has an inclusive
atmosphere that only adds to its value
as a successful mental health facility.
Furthermore, exercise offers not only
physical, but social benefits to postsecondary
students. In the 2010 study
‘In their Own Words: Understanding
the Undergraduate Experience at the
University of Toronto’, the researchers
found that the primary reason students
participate in co-curricular activities
is to expand their social circles, not to
exercise [7].
As a student of the University of Toronto
St. George Campus (UTSG) - particularly
from “Students of the University of
Toronto,” - stated: “I often feel distant
from the community. More could be
done to encourage community activities,
not just within individual colleges,
but throughout the entire student
body.” For students with mental illness,
isolation is often one of the most common
and devastating habits. Opportunities
to become part of a community
increase a student’s odds of breaking
from this habitual isolation.
“
For students with mental
illness, isolation is often one of
the most common and
devastating habits.
In accordance with this student’s opinion,
the aforementioned ‘In their Own
Words’ study found that only 22.4% of
UTSG’s seniors and 16.1% of first years
reported exercising at school for at least
five hours per week (as compared to the
80% who accessed the TPASC at UTSC)
[7]. While UTSG does have its own wellestablished
recreation facility, it does
not seem to have created the same appeal
as the TPASC.
But what does this mean for UTSC’s
mental health opportunities? As more
and more post-secondary campuses
across Canada work to reform and
prioritize student health, the opportunities
TPASC brings means that UTSC
is primed to become a leader in this
‘healthy campus movement.’
“
UTSC is primed to
become a leader in this
‘healthy campus movement.’
“UTSC is ready to become a leader in
campus health initiatives, big time,” says
McRoberts. “We have so many programs
and opportunities, including the
Pan Am Centre. Our goal is to become
the healthiest campus in Canada. Right
now, we are figuring out how to calculate
that.”
Though he is an enthused advocate of
exercise, McRoberts understands the
seemingly unsurpassable mental and
physical barriers that individuals with
mental illness face. He only encourages
that students do what they can in order
to best succeed academically, physically,
and mentally.
26
27