Twenty-seven-year-old Ashley Duncan has coped with mental health challenges most of her life. And she will proudly share both her struggles, and how she copes. “I have a mental illness, […]
Ontario colleges are spending $160 million more than they receive from the government to provide mental health services and supports for students — a need that continues to grow and […]
A new documentary about anxiety argues that everyone to some extent suffers from stress, nerves and social fear. And, to make their point, the filmmakers have enlisted as Exhibit A […]
Watching a friend and former teammate struggle with bouts of depression was all the motivation Myles Mattila needed. Three years ago, Mattila, then just 15, decided he would do whatever […]
Oh, how we “coddle” our young. Isn’t that the fashionable lament out there? We coddle them so much that by the time they are midway through high school or enrolled […]
Following an investigation into the death of a B.C. teenager who took his own life, Bernard Richard is calling on the new Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions to improve […]
One in five Canadians – regardless of age, ethnicity or income level – will experience a significant mental-health condition at some point in their lives. Many more will be touched […]
The first few weeks of university or college can be exciting for new students, but at the same time, an incredibly stressful time. For many students, it’s the first time […]
Students in residence at the University of Guelph shouldn’t be surprised if the president of the school knocks on their door starting Monday. That’s because president Franco Vaccarino along with other […]
The adventures of a campus cat have transformed a flea-ridden stray into an online celebrity with his own fan club. Dennis the cat is so popular among students and staff […]
The Post-secondary Education Partnership for Alcohol Harms (PEP-AH) is a strong partnership of post-secondary institutions from across Canada. It is a network of campuses that are committed to understanding the […]
As summertime began to wane a few weeks back, I began my usual reflections about prepping for my university teaching responsibilities. Getting back into the classroom with my graduate students […]
University and college campuses across B.C. will need to re-evaluate their smoking policies in preparation for the proposed legalization of marijuana set for July 1, 2018. Smoking regulations vary from campus […]
Most students are encouraged to seek help to combat stress, but international students who are burning out fear that asking for help may lead to deportation. Adolfo Ruiz, 21, is from […]
That post-secondary students in B.C. work more and owe more in loans comes as no surprise to Caitlin McCutchen. The Kwantlen University student who’s in year 5, part-time, of her […]
A new report is providing a rare opportunity for health care providers and policy makers to directly compare statistics on mental illness and treatment in different parts of Canada. “Toward […]
Young people between 16 and 24 years old have more challenges than other age groups in getting mental health and addiction services in Canada, a new study comparing mental health care […]
As a key event during the Indigenous Week of Welcome (Sept. 11–14), UVic is launching its first Indigenous Plan. “The plan places Indigenous students, faculty, staff and their communities at […]
If we see a colleague with a fever, we say “go home and rest.” Why can’t we treat mental illness with the same understanding? Today, I want to revisit the […]
Dr. Tim Dyck of the University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia believes that we can learn a lot about alcohol misuse by looking at a student’s […]
Thirty-six universities and colleges have teamed up with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction and Universities Canada in an effort to curb high-risk drinking. The Postsecondary Partnership – Alcohol Harms (PEP-AH), as […]
This fall, seven Canadian universities and colleges will take part in a Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) led pilot project to teach students how to better understand and manage their mental […]
It can sometimes feel like the final days of a semester can’t come soon enough. Compounding that feeling, because of where the Easter long weekend fell on the calendar this past […]
North Island College’s Mount Waddington regional campus is moving to the Thunderbird Mall to be more accessible to students and the community. The college began renovating its new 6,000 square […]
Quebec City’s post-secondary schools are scrambling to ready themselves for the 2018 back-to-school period, when marijuana becomes legal in Canada. “It’s five minutes to midnight,” said André Roy, communications director […]
The university is in the early stages of implementing UVic’s new sexualized violence policy with creation of a central resource office, hiring of a coordinator of education and response and […]
B.C.’s new Minister of Advanced Education says government will move quickly to expand a tuition-fee waiver program for former youth in care. In an interview with Postmedia on Thursday, Melanie […]
Ryerson University is making strides to transform what can be the most nerve-wracking time of year for many teens — back to school — by offering “accessible” orientation that emphasizes mental […]
When over 45,000 students start another semester of classes at the University of British Columbia next month, they’ll be given information to help them if they have any academic or […]
It was a pressing priority for Advanced Education, Skills and Training Minister Melanie Mark to get out early in her mandate and engage with students, faculty and staff at all […]
If more colleges and universities implement self-care programs, the result will be more engaged campuses that are capable of promoting greater student success, producing higher levels of research and serving […]
As students prepare to go back to school, a clinical psychologist warns they should beware of the pitfalls of perfectionism. “I suppose that in some ways, August is the calm […]
The BCIT Student Association is hiring a Health and Wellness Program Coordinator! The Coordinator is responsible for acting as a contact point and resource for health and wellness related programs. You plan, […]
Mental health issues are a struggle for many youth, but Jacob O’Halloran is determined to help a little bit at a time. A Guysborough native and current Dalhousie University student, […]
“Are you OK?” Sitting in class one day last year, Abbigail Guse said she couldn’t admit to her instructor that she wasn’t OK — she was juggling college, work, relationships […]
It’s much easier to have a plan in place before a mental health crisis emerges while a student is away at college. Here are some tips for parents of new college students […]
Demand for mental health services at Ontario universities and colleges has reached an all-time high. With another wave of students about to begin a new academic year, the pressure on […]
The start of college or university can be a challenging time for students. They may be living away from home for the first time, far from their friends and family. […]
British Columbia needs to improve its mental health supports for teenagers, particularly in schools, according to four in five participants in a three-week mental health survey. The informal online poll, created […]
Students at the University of Waterloo know Chase Graham took his own life. They may never have met him. They may not know he was a brilliant student or that […]
As the federal government moves ahead with plans to legalize recreational marijuana use by July 2018, two universities in Fredericton are hiring the first two Canadian research chairs in the […]
Next month, students will be heading off to university – some for the first time and others for the last time. There are several things they can do now to […]
More comfortable online than out partying, post-Millennials are safer, physically, than adolescents have ever been. But they’re on the brink of a mental health crisis. I’ve been researching generational differences […]
Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing have not been at the forefront when supporting wellness needs for Indigenous communities. The Poo’miikapii Program seeks to change this by educating service […]
The BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) has partnered with UBC’s Faculty of Medicine to launch a new learning program designed to provide opioid addiction treatment support for new treatment prescribers in […]
The Dalhousie Student Union will open a support centre for survivors of sexual violence in September and plans to re-launch a helpline service that was suspended last fall because of a lack of […]
Shared Perspectives, a joint publication on mental health, is the first time that all five organizations–the Council of Alberta University Students; Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance; New Brunswick Student Alliance; StudentsNS; and […]
UBC Okanagan students have a new elective course to consider this fall, as the university introduces the HEAL 100 course on health and wellbeing. Developed over the past year by […]
Simon Fraser University Health & Counselling Services is seeking an Associate Director of Counselling. Position Outline: Reporting to the Director, Health & Counselling, the Associate Director, Counselling is responsible for […]
The University of Guelph is helping lead a Canadian university movement to promote health and well-being on campuses. U of G is one of 10 universities in Canada to formally […]
I knew grad school would be difficult, but I was surprised to find one way in which I wanted to work harder: learning how to talk about science. I grew […]
Last weekend, two more young people died by suicide in Northern Ontario. Each loss adds to the disturbingly high suicide rates among Indigenous youth. But statistics don’t help grieving families. […]
A House of Commons committee looking at the issue of Indigenous suicide is urging the federal government to make sure Indigenous communities have resources available after hours and on weekends […]
The Mental Health Commission of Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, the Centre for Suicide Prevention, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, is developing toolkits […]
If you were asked right now, what is your greatest strength, would you be able to answer confidently? For many of us, a response can be difficult to put into […]
We are in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis, with fentanyl-related overdoses causing the death of thousands of Canadians. I believe this crisis is due, to a great extent, […]
A proposal to use a ‘stepped care’ model for mental health services on campuses is well-intentioned, but has some serious pitfalls for those in immediate distress. The Stepped Care 2.0 […]
Algoma University has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) on an agreement that will improve mental health services to students. The initiative comes at a time when student […]
Students Nova Scotia applauds Alberta’s commitment to post-secondary mental health and calls on the Nova Scotia Government to address this important issue through increased collaboration with students. Announced earlier this […]
When repeated tragedies related to mental health struck the University of Guelph during the academic year just passed, TranQool was there to help. An online counselling service dedicated to cognitive […]
Amid concerns over stress, depression and suicide on campus, the NDP government is pledging nearly $26 million over three years to boost mental-health services for Alberta’s post-secondary students. The funding, […]
The number of postdoctoral researchers that burn out at an early stage of their career seems to be increasing, and mental health has been a hot topic at universities and […]
The Postsecondary Education Partnership — Alcohol Harms (PEP–AH) launched today with a strong commitment to taking steps to address collectively alcohol-related harms on Canadian campuses. PEP–AH is a partnership among Canadian […]
With commencement season upon us, post-secondary graduates around the world are getting some wonderful advice before they sail off into the “real world.” But even before they graduate, students are […]
“Disclosure of Mental Disability by College and University Faculty: The Negotiation of Accommodations, Supports and Barriers” says it’s the first-ever cross-institutional survey of its kind and seeks to fill a […]
A Kwantlen Polytechnic University student has concluded a study that determines how, why, and to what degree students in need have accessed KPU’s on-campus mental health services. Under the supervision […]
The simple act of taking a few deep breaths between classes, before the big game or while studying for a final exam can reduce stress, maintain focus and contribute to […]
Demand for mental health care at universities across Canada, including UBC, is growing according to a recent investigation by the Toronto Star and Ryerson School of Journalism. But some students say the university’s services aren’t […]
Campus mental health services at colleges and universities may not be accessible enough to lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning and queer (LGBQ) students, a new study suggests. Researchers found that LGBQ […]
Data collected from across the country shows the extent of the problems. “There is a perception that this age group is healthy, but they’re not.” At age 18, Kimberly could […]
Universities across the country are facing a mental health crisis on campus, sparking an explosion in demands for services from students who feel hopeless, depressed and suicidal. One Monday morning in March, a […]
Dear Healthy Minds | Healthy Campuses community members: Jonny Morris, Senior Director of Policy, Research and Planning, is leaving CMHA BC after nine years of service. Jonny is moving into […]
Data shows record 1,180 students who experienced mental ill health left courses early in 2014-15, up 210% from 2009-10 The number of students to drop out of university with mental […]
When Leonard Reynen was diagnosed with schizophrenia, at age 18, he thought his life was over. The Algonquin College public relations student had seen what the mental illness had meant […]
Coming out of a school year that saw four students die by suicide, the University of Guelph is reviewing its mental health strategy. On Monday, May 15, the school held […]
A Q&A with Peter Cornish of Memorial University on the Stepped Care model, which he hopes will get everyone on campus to be part of the support system for those […]
Congratulations to: King’s College at Western University McMaster University University of Saskatchewan on adopting the Okanagan Charter! This brings the count to nine, after six post-secondary institutions adopted the Charter […]
As you read this, is there something inside of you that feels icky and uncomfortable? Are your inclined to want to make it all just go away? Acknowledge that feeling. […]
The government of Ontario has announced a “substantial” $6 million increase to annual funding for college and university mental health services. Provincial support of on-campus mental health care resources will […]
Alicia Raimundo knew she was different from her peers when she was only six years old. “The things that would make my friends excited or happy would make me sad […]
Measuring success for Stacey De Souza’s students isn’t as conventional as getting an A on a test, making the basketball team or graduating from high school. Major wins for her […]
You know their predicament: student debt, shaky employment and housing prices that are out of reach. Millennials have their share of life’s worries, and it’s taking a toll on their […]
Nearly one in five people in industrialized countries will suffer from mental health issues or substance abuse disorders in any given year. Less than half of them will seek out […]
Providing work-integrated and experiential learning opportunities for students continues to be a widely discussed priority for higher education. To this end, the Career Kick Start Strategy that was recently announced by […]
Ottawa, Ontario May 1, 2017 The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Mental Health Week: “This week, I encourage all Canadians to #GetLoud to raise awareness […]
The provincial government has provided funding to the Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC) to distribute grants to community coalitions desirous of hosting and engaging their community in a […]
Students report feeling overwhelmed while their schools struggle to address the demand for help University isn’t meant to be easy, but it isn’t supposed to be this hard: since November […]
Recently, McGill University adopted its policy against sexual violence. While celebrating this development, I admit that well before this policy was drafted and adopted, I was skeptical about its utility. […]
Laurentian University students recently rejected the opportunity to pay more for increased counselling services on campus. Now some are questioning why something as fundamental as mental health care became a referendum […]
Do you have a great idea to make life a little better on campus — but the only thing stopping you is the money to do it? With the new […]
There are hidden parts of McMaster University, natural “auditoriums,” so to speak, cupped into the deepening woodlands that trail away from the parking lots, ivied brick buildings and bustle of […]
ACCESS Open Minds helps young people between the ages of 11 and 25 A new clinic for children and young adults with mental health and addictions issues will provide the kind […]
The University of Waterloo (U of W) is establishing an advisory committee on mental health, according to a Mar. 27 press release from Feridun Hamdullahpur, president of U of W. […]
Mental health and wellness are imperative to academic success and Brock has committed to ensuring the supports students need to thrive are readily available, said Sarah Pennisi, Director of Brock’s […]
University of British Columbia’s president opened up for the first time Tuesday about his struggle with mental health and how he twice tried to take his own life. Santa Ono […]
A strong advocate for student well-being, University of British Columbia president Santa J. Ono emphasizes importance of mental health support across the education spectrum at 7th annual Healthy Minds | […]
Top officials from an Ontario university took the unusual step of going door-to-door at campus residences three nights last week to check on the mental health of students. It has […]
Universities offer students mental health care to deal with the challenges of post-secondary education. But what happens when they graduate? University counselling centres in Canada are overwhelmed and overbooked. But […]
30Students at the University of Waterloo say they want to see better mental health supports at their school, following the second suicide on campus in less than three months. “I […]
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