MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS IN CANADA

Post-secondary students are a high risk demographic for developing mental health issues (Giamos et al., 2017). Transitioning to a postsecondary institution is stressful and failing to reach personal goals or academic expectations can result in common mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression. These conditions may have a negative impact on their academic performance, acts of daily living, along with their general well-being, both physical and mental.

• A General Health Questionnaire found that nearly one-third of Canadian undergraduate students reported elevated psychological distress levels (Adlaf et al., 2005, as cited in Giamos et al., 2017).
• Data from six Ontario postsecondary institutions found that an estimated 80% of university students felt overwhelmed or exhausted, however only 15.4% of students seeked treatment (ACHA-NCHA II, 2009, as cited in Giamos et al., 2017).

A lack of education regarding identifying mental health issues, coping strategies, and campus counseling services can act as barriers for receiving mental health support. The biggest problem when it comes to seeking help is that the stigma of mental illness can silence students and deter them from reaching out (Eisenberg et al., 2009, as cited in Giamos et al., 2017). Campus culture plays a main role in whether students can actively deal with psychological problems, thus a culture with a low tolerance for negative preconceptions and low stigma of mental health issues will support students (Giovannetti et al., 2018). Overall, it is crucial to educate all individuals on this topic as stereotypes of mental health disorders negatively perpetuate the stigma attached to mental illness.

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LEARNING CONTEXT AND LEARNERS

Many tend to believe mental illness is not a medical condition as it may not always produce physical symptoms. However, mental health issues are real and can be debilitating. Additionally, those who have not experienced mental health adversities usually believe they are caused by weak willpower or an inherent flaw of the individual. This is not the case as mental health is very complicated and can be affected by a multitude of variables including one’s environment and genetics.  

Post-secondary students are disproportionally affected by mental health issues, therefore educating ourselves and others on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of poor mental health along with how to promote well-being is a crucial first step to alleviate this prominent issue. Thus, this learning resource is tailored towards university-aged individuals and others who attend a post-secondary campus with the goal to provide a basic but thorough understanding of this topic. Previous knowledge is not required.