Findings from the five MHNAs identify several strategies for providing better support for the mental health and well-being of students.
Increase awareness of mental health among students, faculty, and staff
UBC might initiate a program to provide students, faculty, and staff with more opportunities to have dialogues about mental health to normalize mental illness and concerns and decrease stigma associated with mental illness. It is also important to promote recognition among everyone in the campus community that we all need to look after our mental health and well-being in the same way as we look after our physical health. Legitimizing mental health days is another method for increasing awareness of mental health and normalizing mental health issues and concerns.
UBC needs to provide support and training to faculty and staff. It is particularly important for faculty and staff to become more adept at recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental illness and its negative impact on student learning. In addition, faculty and staff should become more aware of the acculturation process that creates stress for international students, and gain knowledge about how to best support them in their acculturation process as well as learning to promote their mental health and well-being.
While training sessions are important, faculty and staff also need resources that are readily available when dealing with a student in need.
Advance on-campus mental health services and resources
The MHNAs revealed students’ needs for improved on-campus mental health services and resources. Centralizing information about mental health services is warranted to enable students to be informed about all the available services and access to the services that best meet their needs. More counsellors will also increase accessibility for students who need the services. Further, online mental health services will allow students who hesitate to disclose their concerns and access mental health services in person to share their concerns and obtain advice anonymously.
Promote mental health resources and services
The MHNAs from the last three years consistently suggest actively promoting the mental health resources and services available to students. The student survey results indicated that email appears to be the students’ preferred method of receiving information about the available supports and services. Faculty members suggested that an email sent to students from their instructor would provide a personal touch and therefore increase the likelihood of students opening the email. Social media and university websites are other important sources of information for students.
Create a healthier campus community
Increasing the number of healthy, affordable food options on campus is warranted. The students, faculty, and staff all recognized that nutrition affects mental health and that healthy food options on campus are generally difficult to find or expensive. Therefore, working with UBC food services to improve menus could have a positive impact on students’ mental health.
UBC needs to create more lounge and study spaces for students. Casual spaces are important for students to study, relax, and socialize between classes. Faculty and staff spoke highly of the Ponderosa Collegium for its success in helping students get to know one another, as well as similar systems at other universities.
Improve teaching practices
Instructors might provide standardized course syllabi for students to help them decide on their course selection. Selecting courses and managing workloads are two major stressors for students; providing a standardized course syllabus at the time of registration is one way to help students manage these stressors. Faculty and staff suggested that the course syllabi can also be used to provide students with information about academic and mental health support services available on campus.
Faculty and staff need to create opportunities to get to know students. Social connections are important for developing a sense of belonging. When faculty and staff know their students on a more personal level, they are better positioned to recognize a need for help. Further, students report that when an instructor gets to know them they are more motivated to succeed in the class and are more comfortable about reaching out for academic help when necessary.
Posted: Feb 22, 2016