Volume 1, Issue 1: Post-Secondary Mental Health

Theme
Advisor
Life on post-secondary campuses has its charms as well as its challenges. Increased
personal autonomy, creative initiatives, and new relationships make the campus
attractive. However, at the same time, students also face ever-increasing costs of
education, worries of job readiness in a globally competitive job market, and meeting
expectations—of the self, the family, and the institution. These challenges are
not entirely new, but rigours of contemporary life and increasing cultural diversity
on our campuses make them more complex.
In order to deal with these challenges, students need institutional scaffolds and
individual skills. One of the most important skills is to care for one’s own mental
health. Sadly, most students on post-secondary Canadian campuses are not fully
aware of their mental health concerns and those who are aware, are either reluctant
to seek services or don’t find services responsive enough to their concerns.
This is evident in the data. The National College Health Survey completed in 2013
by more than 34,000 Canadian post-secondary students shows an increase in almost
all forms of mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, attentional
issues, drug and alcohol, and above all, feeling overwhelmed and stressed to the
extent that it is difficult to function.
More than two-third of directors at
counselling centres within Canadian
post-secondary institutions report a
significant increase in mental health
concerns. This increase is in numbers
as well as in complexity and chronicity.
Even in its mildest form, mental health
concerns impact a student’s emotional,
physical, social, intellectual, and career
development. Yet, only one-third of
students with significant mental health
issues seek treatment.
Minds Matter Magazine, a uniquely
UTSC student-led initiative, and the first
one of its kind on the Canadian postsecondary
canvas is a timely and much
needed endeavour to highlight mental
health concerns. Every article in this inaugural
issue addresses important campus
related mental health themes including
self-stigma, the role of exercise
in dealing with mental health concerns,
gaps in institutional policies affecting
student mental health, and the impact
of mental health concerns on academics.
These themes not only speak to
the inner—and often salient voices—of
students, but also articulate actions that
students and institutions can take on to
tackle mental health challenges.
I hope in the upcoming months and
years, Minds Matter Magazine will help
the campus community to contextualize
and prioritize campus mental health and
advocate for evidence-based, culturally
sensitive, and inclusive treatment approaches.
I wish the very best to Karen Young and
her dedicated team as they embark on
this journey which can help students
to cope with mental health challenges
adaptively to become socially engaged,
and personally fulfilled individuals.
Tayyab Rashid, PhD
Theme Advisor, Volume 1 Issue 1: Post-
Secondary Mental Health
Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Researcher,
Health & Wellness Centre,
UTSC
Co-Chair, Campus Mental Health: Community
of Practice by CACUSS (Canadian
Association of Colleges and University
Student Services)
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