MONTREAL – Bell Let's Talk and The Rossy Family Foundation (The RFF) announced Monday a joint $1 million donation for the creation of a national standard for post-secondary student mental health to support student success on campuses across Canada.
The RFF and Bell Let's Talk have engaged the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) to lead the project to establish the standard in collaboration with Canada's standards setting organizations, says the press release.
"The success of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace set the stage for this new initiative. We believe there is tremendous potential to improve the lives and academic success of Canada's post-secondary students by taking a similar systematic approach," said Mary Deacon, chair of Bell Let's Talk, in the release. "Colleges and universities throughout the country are working hard to ensure a psychologically healthy and safe environment for their students. As with the workplace standard, they will benefit from a nationally established, systematic framework to guide and facilitate their mental health efforts."
"Post-secondary education is an exciting time as youth stretch their wings and become more independent," added Louise Bradley, president and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada in the release. "It is also a time of increased susceptibility to mental health problems and illnesses as students juggle financial, academic, family and personal demands. The Mental Health Commission of Canada is pleased to work with our partners to develop a standard that will provide a roadmap for educational institutions as they strive to safeguard and promote student mental health."
A national standard for post-secondary student mental health will create a practical and flexible framework that enables institutions to protect and promote students' psychological health and safety. Like the workplace standard, it will provide guidance for Canadian universities, colleges and institutes to promote student success through a collaborative approach to mental health between staff, faculty and students.
Of the more than 2 million people enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions, almost 70% are 24 or under, a demographic particularly susceptible to developing mental health issues. Research by the US National Institute of Mental Health has shown that 75% of people with a mental health disorder receive their first diagnosis between 16 and 24. Canada's National College Health Assessment Survey found 32% of students have been diagnosed or treated for anxiety or depression in the previous year, reads the release.
At the same time, young people are more engaged when it comes to mental health than ever before, with 87% saying they are more aware of mental health issues than 5 years ago, according to research conducted by Nielsen last October.
Bell Let's Talk Day is January 31.
