This World Mental Health Day, Canadian universities are urging the federal government to follow through on their election commitment in 2021 to establish a student mental health fund of $500 million over four years. This direct funding is needed urgently to provide essential improvements to mental health care on campus for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Post-secondary students are among those most affected by the pandemic. A report published jointly by the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) in September 2022 reveals that:
- The pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of 3 in 4 students;
- The pandemic worsened students’ pre-existing mental health challenges (74%) and created new mental health struggles (61%); and
- The pandemic disproportionately impacted students who identified as a visible minority, 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, living with a disability, or living with a pre-existing mental health concern.