Infosheets Archive

This infosheet is aimed specifically at students. Stress and Anxiety among post-secondary students has always been a prevalent issue on campus. In a 2019 survey, 87% of post-secondary students across Canada reported feeling overwhelming anxiety, and only 24% were receiving treatment for it. A 2021 survey showed international students were deeply impacted by the pandemic, where 50% of students from 84 countries responded that they were at risk of anxiety disorders with social isolation, mental exhaustion and panic attacks. This infosheet provides valuable information on the origins of stress and anxiety, how to manage them, and how to seek support.

This infosheet is aimed specifically at students. As a student, meeting deadlines, adjusting to new time zones, and feelings of stress, may lead you to struggle with sleep and rest. Data from the spring 2019 National College Health Assessment survey suggests that 29% of students have sleep difficulties that are affecting their academic studies. This infosheet provides valuable information on different kinds of sleep and rest, their benefits, and some tips for better sleep hygiene.

Supporting Student Mental Health in Ontario: Exploring Best Practices and Identifying Gaps was written by Ken Chatoor, Natalie Pilla, Lena Balata, Haleemah Shah & Amy Kaufman, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

Ontario Health has released new virtual care guidance around the delivery of care to those living with depression and anxiety-related conditions. The Ontario Health’s ‘Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Depression and/or Anxiety-Related Conditions’ is intended to support health care professionals in making decisions about the clinically appropriate use of virtual care modalities, such telephone and videoconferencing, when delivering care to people living with depression and/or anxiety-related conditions. An expert panel, comprised of both people with lived experience and health care professionals, provided advice and insights about virtual care to shape the development of this guidance. The information provided in the guidance is intended to supplement, rather than replace, any related legislation, regulation, college practice, standards and policies, government directives or public health guidance.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are extremely stressful events that occur during a child’s first 18 years of life, and which can impact their physical and mental health later in life. As campus staff and faculty understanding ACEs can help us: Shift self-blame students may have regarding their current struggles by looking at what they are facing through the lens of ACEs and their effects on adulthood. Have an awareness of potential risks associated with ACEs and engage in preventive practices.

In a society preoccupied with “good vibes”, it can be hard to ignore the social pressures pushing positivity. Although holding an optimistic outlook isn’t inherently a bad thing, the endless pursuit of positivity can become problematic.

This infosheet will help staff and faculty support students with ADHD in a post-secondary context. Please click on the PDF for more information.

The CICMH digital mental health resource toolkit includes a brief overview of the free mental health resources available on our website. Feel free to share the package with colleagues and students. The materials can be used as a complement to your orientation package.

This infosheet was designed specifically for students. Feeling anxious about tests in school is an experience many of us can relate to. This can happen in anticipation of an upcoming exam or even when waiting to receive a grade following an exam. Both tests and anxiety are a natural part of school life and each of them have the potential to lead to personal growth. This infosheet provides valuable information on the triggers of test anxiety, as well as tips for offsetting it.

The current study examined the adjustment to higher education among students with mental health disorders, focusing on adjustment to post-secondary education, emotional and metacognitive variables.