LETS TALK HEALTH

TOWN HALL SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION Lets Talk Health is a health advocacy group formed by students at the University of Toronto concerned about student mental health. Were looking to formulate an action plan to improve campus mental health for all students. We want to address stigma, service accessibility, health promotion, and most importantly structural change (both academic and environmental). Raising student and faculty awareness is one of our main objectives as a new group on campus. When Lets Talk Health rst formed, we were certain that a town hall style meeting would be the best way to fulll our mission statement; we want an open-minded, creative dialogue here at the University of Toronto discussing how to have a healthy campus. Thus, when speeches and performances were nished, we asked the 50 students and several professors to form a circle to openly discuss campus mental health. The town hall meeting was lively with many shared stories and interesting ideas. Students felt comfortable to be open about mental health issues. Furthermore, all the students expressed concern for the mental health problems that are caused by our institutional structure and environment. We moved the discussion toward some of the creative ways students, faculty, and administration can make the campus a better environment for everyones mental health and wellbeing.

www.LetsTalkHealth.ca letstalkhealth.uoft@gmail.com

ISSUES CONCERNING WELLNESS AT UOFT 1. Awareness of mental health and stigma: Students with mental health issues felt that professors, T.A.s, and other students do not realize the debilitating impact of mental illness. The prejudice and labeling that comes with being identied as mentally ill can lead to students hesitation to seek help and support. This isolation of students with mental health issues exacerbates the problem. Being labeled with a mental illness could result in a feeling of power dierence/ imbalance between oneself and others Theres not enough open conversation about mental health. A student expressed that living with mental health issues should not feel like the end of the world.

2. Mental Health Services: Students felt that they need to be in a crisis state in order to be helped by oncampus services in a timely order because of a long wait list. This results in students not receiving much-needed help until their condition has worsened. Students at the town hall were told that CAPS does oer some services for students on the waiting list. However, information about these alternative services may not always reach students. On-campus mental health services do not provide long-term help. CAPS only oers 20 therapy sessions to each student. After 20 sessions, students are referred to a community psychologist. This is not enough for a university institution that usually oer 4 year degrees Students felt that current awareness of the existence of disability/mental health services on campus and o-campus was low. Several students experienced that campus accessibility accommodations focus more on learning disabilities. Its almost as if Accessibility Services wants to t students into one of the learning disability categories in order to provide students with academic accommodations. For many students, mental health issues can impair learning and processing just as much as a learning disability. Students should be able to receive more access to accommodations for mental health issues.
www.LetsTalkHealth.ca letstalkhealth.uoft@gmail.com

Commuter students often dont receive as much information about various on campus services compared to students who do live on campus

3. Course structure: Inexibility around marking schemes and deadlines causes undue stress. Some Tutorial and class sizes are too big, and they are growing (more students, fewer professors). Competitive environment based on individual learning is not conducive to building a peer-support system or developing leadership skills. There should be more group projects to promote group learning. Professors shouldnt simply accept that U of T is overly competitive; students can be encouraged to help each other. The fragmentation of campus doesnt encourage community. There should be more social organization on campus with groups being encouraged to work together. The competitive environment of many degree programs discourages peer support, contributing to an isolating environment. 4. Other OSAP currently only recognizes students with permanent disability. Those with milder disabilities are still required to take full course-load in order to qualify for a loan. A student could have the same debilitating condition, but because their disability has not been deemed permanent, they are put under extra nancial stress. SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE CAMPUS MENTAL HEALTH 1. Classroom Structure Changes: Students felt that evaluations should focus less on the regurgitation of memorized information (through exams etc) and more on critical understanding (through creative/innovative projects, groups work, and essays) Professors and TAs should receive training to be more aware of mental health issues and how they aect their students

www.LetsTalkHealth.ca letstalkhealth.uoft@gmail.com

Course syllabuses should have a section specically dealing with mental health and what to do in the case you need accommodations or help due to mental health concerns TAs could organize facebook study groups for classes where they can facilitate active discussion and idea-sharing Professors should give clear assignment descriptions and deadlines at the beginning of the term so students can plan accordingly

2. Peer Help Programs: One-on-one peer-mentoring programs for course credit. Student groups and workshops where students can help their peers and share their experiences with each other. This way, students can learn to seek advice on how to help themselves 3. On-Campus and O Campus Mental Health Services/Resources: On-campus mental health programs such as services, workshops, and facilities need to be promoted. There needs to be a system for implementing ideas and feedback given by students. University can co-ordinate with o-campus mental health services to see what can be done to provide better access to these services for students. 4. Increase Awareness of Services/Resources Available: Make mental health resource information available by requiring contact info for on-campus mental health services in every syllabus Create an online information network where students can browse through a list of dierent issues and click through to see where they can nd help/peersupport. This network can be a simple and easy information source: examples of links could include, Looking for healthy Food?, Looking for a place to rest?, Need help with Anxiety? Don/RA should actively promote on campus mental health and academic services 5. New Student Clubs/Events: Chill club: where students get together for the sake of enjoying each others company
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Nap room: a place on campus where sleep-deprived students can take naps without being disturbed. Commuters expressed issues with classes spaced far apart and being too tired to study. Students may improve productivity and wellbeing with a power nap. Annual conferences within the university to suggest what we can do to improve campus life. Come together! Come up with realistic suggestions. Survey students and then approach the administration with our ndings.

6. Changes to Encourage Sense of Community: Frosh-week should be free because its a very important way for new students to make friends that will become their support community. Alternatively, there could be a smaller free part of Frosh-week. 7. Current Mental Health Resources Mentioned: CAPS oers stress workshops WRAP (wellness recovery action plan): training and support program developed by a group of people who experience mental health challenges. The Jack Project - suicide prevention and mental health advocacy group LETS TALK HEALTH ONLINE SURVEY Survey results can be found online at http://www.letstalkhealth.ca/?page_id=13 Although we could only obtain a small sample of students to ll out our survey (~145), we intend to continuously build on our results. We were not able to reach a large sample of graduate students to complete the survey, however we have noted that their concerns are dierent from the ones that were noted in our undergrad surveys. For example, there is currently poor clarity on what campus mental health services are available to graduate students. This may contribute to the rising mental health problems among these students. In the coming year, we hope to collect more graduate survey results so their concerns are addressed.

www.LetsTalkHealth.ca letstalkhealth.uoft@gmail.com

NEXT STEPS At the Town Hall, the majority of students in attendance were undergraduates, however this coming year we hope to reach a larger demographic of more graduate students and faculty. We also hope to involve Counseling and Psychological Services and Campus Health and Wellness in our eorts. We feel that administration feedback and knowledge is crucial to ensure that we achieve our ultimate goal of bettering campus mental health.

www.LetsTalkHealth.ca letstalkhealth.uoft@gmail.com