The issue of mental health on campus has become a solemn one. The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) has released their submission to the Ontario government on the status and quality of student health services within the province. What was originally a report to provoke discussion is now hopeful to gain support for mental health services. This report outlines the success of the Ontario government in providing adequate health care on campus.
The report did a thorough job on addressing the issues of mental health related stigma in post-secondary education. Society needs to mature past the stereotype of mental health. The OUSA hopes that university staff can receive professional training that would ultimately provide them with the skill-set necessary to deal with students who may be suffering from chronic depression or anxiety.
It is suggested by Gordon Flett, psychology professor at York University that some freshman students may have difficulties adapting to the post-secondary environment. Flett has recently researched on how perfectionism can be detrimental to a student’s health. His recommendation is to find a distraction from the rigors of flawlessness.
Overall the OUSA suggests mental health services on campus can be improved in a multitude of ways. At the forefront are anti-stigma initiatives to encourage assistance. Furthermore it hopes to provide aboriginal students, those from marginalized groups, and students from the LGBTQ community with a safe-space milieu. Through their report, the OUSA recommends an increase in government funds be allocated to mental health services on campus.
By Jason Schwartz
DeClerq, K. (2012, Sept 25). Battling the stigma of mental illness on ontario campuses. Canadian University Press, Retrieved from http://cupwire.ca/articles/53146
