When we are fueled by performance and must succeed at all costs despite the pressure of work and exams, our mental health can suffer. In order to have a clearer portrait of the mental state of CEGEP students and university students, Quebec is launching a new observatory.
The Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, announced Tuesday morning the creation of the Observatory on student well-being and mental health in higher education. To carry out this project, Quebec is investing $2.8 million over five years.
The observatory’s work will be led by Julie Lane, associate professor at the Faculty of Education at the Université de Sherbrooke, and Benjamin Gallais, researcher at the Center for the Study of Living Conditions and Population Needs at Cégep de Jonquiere.
This project aims to “document the state of mental health of the current student population of Quebec,” says one in the press release accompanying the announcement.
The objectives of the observatory are surveillance and monitoring, research and development of knowledge, appropriate training and mobilization of knowledge. The observatory will also have the mandate to conduct a national survey on student mental health in order to assess its evolution over time.
According to Benjamin Gallais, more than 160 people are already collaborating with the observatory in Quebec, Canada and internationally. Six Quebec colleges are currently members.
Speaking on behalf of Professor Lane, who was outside the country, project coordinator Félix Guay-Dufour added that the structure would be made up of “researchers, practitioners, but also a large number of student people”. These “will have important roles to play”, he stressed, both in governance and in the success of research activities so that they are “well anchored in the real needs of students”.
Mental health and perseverance
At a press conference at the University of Sherbrooke, Minister Déry acknowledged that better support would also have a beneficial effect on graduation. Whether we’re talking about anxiety disorders, depression or other problems, “it comes to slow down the academic journey a little, it’s inevitable”, she admitted.
“It’s clear that if we are able to intervene and help these young people, it will help with perseverance, it will help with success. It will allow us to graduate them and ensure that they can complete their academic career, ”continued the minister.
In a testimony delivered by video, the chief scientist of Quebec, Rémi Quirion, said he dreams of the day when we can speak freely about his mental illness as we can do about heart disease or even cancer. “Very often, people who suffer from heart disease or cancer have the support of relatives, friends and colleagues. Too often still, with mental illnesses, we are afraid to talk about it. We are afraid of being stigmatized. »
The creation of the observatory is part of the Action plan on student mental health in higher education 2021-2026. Minister Pascale Déry revealed that the action plan was already producing results, since 10,179 more students were able to benefit from mental health services, which represents an increase of 23%.
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