Addressing Student Mental Health
Article by Ashlie Dhugga
In light of May 3rd marking the beginning of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Awareness Month, it becomes especially important to start a conversation addressing the pressures and adversities faced by students in relation to mental health.
The 2020-2021 school year has come to a close; yet, the mental aftermath of this unique year perpetually lingers in the minds of many students. From my personal experience, studying at a post-secondary institution in which you are surrounded by highly motivated individuals all aiming for academic excellence, it is easy to forget that you are not alone in bearing negative thoughts. We exhibit an innate fear when it comes to such thoughts; we do not wish to discuss them with others as we believe it makes us too vulnerable. Due to our hesitancy to discuss these topics, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that others are going through the same thing.
It is time to break the stigma and discuss some of the mental health struggles many of us have faced this forgone academic year. It is important to note that despite how difficult the past has been, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. With each struggle, there comes a lesson for the future.
Struggling with Feelings of Regret
For many, this was the first fully remote academic school year they have ever experienced. Going from learning in an in-person interactive school environment to solely learning through a screen is a drastic change. Many students feel a common regret in regards to this academic school year: they believe they did not do their best, and that their grades were not at the level they desired and strived for.
Lesson Learned: Forgive Yourself
If you struggled with this new style of learning, you are most definitely not alone. Studies have found there has been an overall average grade percentage decline of 4.5% among undergraduate students since the mass implementation of remote learning (EducationData 2021). Without the face-to-face support of your peers and professors, remaining motivated during this school year was difficult. I, along with some of my peers, found that grasping complex content through Zoom lectures and asynchronous videos was no easy task. Most notably, staying focused on your studies while the world goes through collective hardship was the farthest thing from easy.
If you have regrets about your academic performance because it did not go as planned, it is important to forgive yourself. This year was a struggle, yet we aspired to do our best as students in an unprecedented situation. That in itself is a feat to be proud of. Look towards the future with new motivations and keep your focus on the bigger picture. All your sacrifice and perseverance will be worth it one day.
Drawing Comparisons Between Yourself & Your Peers
It is human nature to compare yourself to others. It becomes detrimental to mental health when that tendency towards comparison leads to feelings of inadequacy. When you see your peers obtaining summer internships and excelling in courses you found to be difficult, you cannot help but think that you are behind.
Lesson Learned: No Two Journeys are the Same
In the words of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist” (Larnier 2017). No two students walk the same academic path: each individual has their own career-specific goals, a varying perception of success, and unique strengths and weaknesses. I found that it is better to not compare your journey to others’; everything you work hard to accomplish will come with time.
Feeling Uncertainty About the Upcoming Year
As students, we prefer to be prepared for upcoming situations. We adjust our study methods based on the teaching medium we are presented; thus, the uncertainty of whether the 2021-2022 school year will be remote or in-person goes against our best wishes. We begin to stress about what the future holds, as we do not know if we are prepared for what is to come.
Lesson Learned: Adapt an Attitude of Optimism
Rather than putting emphasis on the negative aspects of uncertainty, it can be helpful to put emphasis on the positives we can expect to see in the future. Vaccination rates are beginning to increase, and we now have a deeper understanding of remote learning. There is hope for the future.
Mental Health Awareness Month ends on May 31st; however, discussing mental health-related topics should not be limited to a single month. The importance of mental health care should be prioritized by every student as they progress through their academic and professional careers. For further information, the list below outlines some online mental health resources and mental health fundraisers available for anyone looking for support or ways to support mental health initiatives.
Mental Health Support Resources:
Crisis Services Canada:
Helpline: 1-(833)-456-4566
Text Support: 45645
Canadian Crisis Hotline:
1-(888)-353-2273
Mental Health Fundraisers:
Supporting the Canadian Mental Health Association: https://cmha.donordrive.com/?fuseaction=donate.event&eventID=561&language=en
Supporting Mental Health Research Canada: https://www.mhrc.ca/donate
Sources:
“Distance Learning Statistics [2021]: Online Education Trends.” EducationData, EducationData.org, 15 Mar. 2021, educationdata.org/online-education-statistics.
Anderson, R. Lanier, "Friedrich Nietzsche", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/nietzsche