There may be brighter days ahead for post-secondary students who could be or are suffering from a mental health disorder in Ontario, but there is still much work to be done.
According to the Canadian Student Health Data Survey from 2013, 57 percent of student felt things were hopeless in the past 12 months, almost 90 percent felt overwhelmed, 66 percent felt very lonely and nearly 58 percent felt overwhelming anxiety. On top of that, nearly 11 percent of students seriously considered suicide, 7.5 percent intentionally self-harmed and 1.5 percent actually attempted a suicide.
The numbers may come as a surprise to some but many students find this data unfortunately reasonable given all the stressors they are facing lately. What’s worse is that 80 percent of students have not been treated by a professional for any mental health disorder, the most common disorders being depression, anxiety, anorexia or bipolar disorder.
With increasing tuition costs and a shaky job market ahead for many provide added stress and discouragement for kids so it’s important to be providing the adequate services and help for these students.
“School didn’t seem so unattainable, like, financially. And there were very few people I knew at the university [that I went to] that they needed to have a job during the school year to pay for school and their life,” says Journalism program co-ordinator, Dan Rowe, reflecting on the difference between when he was in school and now.
Students are offered free counselling at university and college but often there is a stigma surrounding these services and sometimes they are just unaware that they exist. Humber counsellor, Deborah Mandell, says she has actually noticed a decrease in the number of students coming to her and the other counsellors for help, but she is unsure why.
Mandell believes that a lot of students she sees show symptoms of a mental health disorder in her office, the most common being depression and anxiety. Many students have misconceptions about counselling and don’t want to appear as though they are weak and fear judgement. She also mentioned that international students, depending on their background and culture, may not be used to going to a stranger for help.
Nadine Sutherland, a second-year criminal justice student at Humber doesn’t believe that counselling is worth going to, she’d rather go to a teacher, her program co-ordinator or turn to friends and family for help. Sutherland says she often finds it stressful to work part time and manage her schooling while still trying to be a teenager and have fun.
“The number of students who come in and say, ‘I’m working 35 to 40 hours a week and trying to go to school and trying to be a social human being’ is so much higher than it certainly was in my experience,” says Rowe.
Other than talking to someone, some students try and cope through exercise, music, or through more destructive methods such as drugs and alcohol. “Study drugs” such as: Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta which are commonly used for treating ADHD, are becoming a trend among these overworked kids to stay focused and awake.
When these drugs are used for non-medical purposes, students are able to use multiple areas of their brain at a stronger capacity and in turn allow them to study longer and ultimately receive better grades. However, the risk of addiction and misuse for these drugs can be high.
Data from the 2013 National College Health Assessment Survey indicated that 36% of post-secondary students drank more than four drinks on a single occasion at least once in the past two weeks which would classify as risky drinking.
In 2012 the Canadian Government introduced a two year Mental Heal First Aid training course for staff and faculty at colleges and universities that educated them on how to approach and help students who may be suffering from mental health issues. A big focus of this training centred on addiction and although some staff felt it was helpful for them, both Mandell and Rowe agree there should be more long-term projects as well as trained psychiatrists in schools.
Rowe suggested that while current programs are a good start, he thinks that supportive therapy available to students should also be extended to their family and friends. Their issues often impact the student’s academic and personal lives; but Rowe admits that extended coverage is unlikely.
Rowe doesn’t see the future of post-secondary mental health getting better anytime soon, partly because of the rising cost of tuition but also because of the lack of resources (money) available to fund treatment.
Psychologists from Loyola University in Chicago and researchers found that prevention interventions for all students, not just those that may be at risk, were helpful in reducing the outcomes relating to stress, anxiety and depression.
Prevention interventions counsellors sit down with the students and educate them on adjustment and retention in school as well as how to handle stress and anxiety before it becomes a problem. This way students are able to not only help themselves but also their peers who may be having a hard time in school, they are able to address the situation properly.
Students can have a hard time adjusting to post-secondary education and the researchers found that establishing psychosocial resources like adaptive social and emotional skills, positive self-perceptions, and supportive interpersonal relationships were effective in linking mental health and adjustment in students.
Life is not easy and with all the stressors kids have to manage these days it doesn’t look like it’s going to get easier anytime soon. It is important to address mental health and break down stigmatic barriers surrounding it and get people comfortable with talking about it.
If students feel like they are not alone in this fight, they will most likely come out and support each other. There is strength in numbers.
Laura Ω 