Mental Health among Canadian Postsecondary Students: A Mental Health Crisis?

Abstract

Objective: Recent reports express concerns about a mental health crisis among postsecondary students. These assertions, however, often arise from surveys conducted in postsecondary settings that lack the broader context of a referent group. The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the mental health status of postsecondary students 18 to 25 years old from 2011 to 2017 and (2) to compare the mental health status of postsecondary students to nonstudents. Methods: Prevalence was estimated for a set of mental health outcomes using seven annual iterations of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2011 to 2017). Logistic regression was used to derive odds ratio estimates comparing mental health status among postsecondary students and nonstudents, adjusting for age and sex. Random effects metaregression and meta-analyses techniques were used to evaluate trends in prevalence and odds ratio estimates over time. Results: Over the study period, the prevalence of perceived low mental health, diagnosed mood and anxiety disorders, and past-year mental health consultations increased among female students, whereas binge drinking decreased among male students. With the exception of perceived stress, the odds of experiencing each mental health outcome were lower among postsecondary students compared to nonstudents. Conclusions: These findings do not support the idea that postsecondary students have worse mental health than nonstudents of similar age. The perception of a crisis may arise from greater help-seeking behavior, diminishing stigma, or increasing mental health literacy. Regardless, the observance of these trends provide an opportunity to address a previously latent issue.

Cross-sectional trend analysis of the NCHA II survey data on Canadian post-secondary student mental health and wellbeing from 2013 to 2019

“…Therefore, the post-secondary environment is not necessarily creating an increase in the prevalence of mental illnesses, though it may be a contributing factor. Notably, recent research has shown that post-secondary students do not appear to have worse mental health than the general population, therefore challenging the notion of there being a “mental health crisis” among the Canadian post-secondary student population [ 35 ]. This is not to say that post-secondary mental health in Canada does not deserve attention, but suggests that mental health care for emerging adults both within and outside of the post-secondary institution must be bolstered.…”

POST-SECONDARY PAW PATROL: Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities on Students’ Stress, Happiness and Well-being

“…Although post-secondary students do not struggle with mental health issues at a greater rate than non-students in the same age group (Wiens et al, 2020), there is a concerningly high prevalence of mental health issues among post-secondary students. A 2019 survey of post-secondary institutions in Canada found that in a 12-month period, 69% of student respondents had experienced overwhelming anxiety, 64% felt that things were "hopeless", 51% reported feeling overwhelming anger, 52% felt so depressed that they had difficulty functioning, and over 16% reported seriously considering suicide (ACHA-NCHA, 2019).…”

The Impact of Transitions, a Mental Health Literacy Intervention With Embedded Life Skills for Postsecondary Students: Preliminary Findings From a Naturalistic Cohort Study

“…[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] These results have been often interpreted as a "mental health crisis" and an "epidemic of mental disorders" on campus with calls for more therapy and other mental health speciality services as a response, [22][23][24][25][26][27] despite the fact that the prevalence of mental disorders among young people has been relatively stable over decades. [28][29][30][31][32] These data reporting high rates of increases in perceived mental disorders in the face of stable prevalence suggest that some young people may not be able to distinguish normal existential stresses from a mental disorder due to a lack of mental health literacy. [33][34][35] Similarly, this suggests that providing young people who are transitioning to postsecondary schooling with information that could enhance their mental health literacy while concurrently addressing the common and normal stress-inducing situations that they are likely to experience may be a useful mental health intervention.…”