Bell, let’s talk
January 25, 2017—the one day this year where mental health is at the forefront of our minds. Bell Let’s Talk Day is a mental health initiative held by Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) that raises both funds and awareness across the country. While this initiative has done incredible things in the world of mental health, one day out of an entire year is not enough.
Mental illnesses have an impact on nearly every single person, whether it is being faced personally or through a close friend or family member. The staggering rate at which mental health issues are rising is enough evidence to support the notion of increasing mental illness initiatives across the country.
Once Bell Let’s Talk Day has passed, mental health often fades to the background of people’s minds until the following year. However, for a huge portion of the population, mental health is something that stays with them every single day.
In the fall of 2016, The Globe and Mail released an article stating that among Canadian post-secondary institutions alone, one in five students are facing some form of mental illness or related symptoms. These high levels of mental health issues are a direct result of the intense pressure facing university students, leading to disorders such as depression and anxiety. When not treated, these diagnoses can intrude on nearly every aspect of daily life, thus greatly inhibiting the individual.
Unless you have ever had to complete an assignment on mental health, the majority of people are unaware of the shocking statistics surrounding this issue. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) released a report showing that youth between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest chance of experiencing mental illnesses. Also, 34 percent of students in Ontario high schools are dealing with a form of psychological distress.
The fact that Canadian youth have the highest chances of facing mental health related problems is a sad reality of our society. Children and adolescents are being robbed of their idealistic innocence as they face these illnesses. Even with the mental health initiatives present today—Bell Let’s Talk for example—there is simply a higher demand for support.
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There are currently multiple initiatives offered at Ontario universities to provide support to students dealing with mental illnesses. For example, some institutions across the province have started to give a “fall break” for students to help alleviate stress and tension. While some universities are offering this program, it needs to apply across the entire country.
CBC News released an article stating that the University of New Brunswick will start implementing a three-year pilot project for the fall reading week, beginning in the year of 2018. This university, like many others, is heading in the right direction by starting to put more mental health initiatives and programs into place.
Although some schools are progressing in regards to mental health awareness, others are still doing nothing. The Press newspaper at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology released a publication stating that even though 97 per cent of the student population wants a fall reading week, there is still no intention of implementing this program. This decision is a result of a required number of hours of instruction. However, both the University of Lethbridge and Mount Royal University have already implemented fall reading weeks.
Many other institutions, such as Queen’s University and the University of Guelph, are not yet offering this beneficial break to their students. Some people argue that fall reading weeks are a needless break for students. And, some believe that fitting in another week for the syllabus is more important than improving the mental health of their students. This way of thinking is outdated. Preserving the mental health of students is much more important than extending classes by one week. How could anyone place a few university classes above the importance of their students’ well-being?The decision makers of today must be educated further on the subject of mental health since their generation received much less exposure on the matter. Mental health illnesses have a greater impact on our generation than the generation before us. We are responsible for creating change in our society. We are responsible for passing on the torch to those both older and younger. Everyone has the capability to make a change no matter how significant it may be. Now is the time to not only support Bell Let’s Talk, but to continue our efforts in raising awareness. Turning one day into every day will allow us to beat this stigma once and for all.
Photo by Mariah Bridgeman/The Ontarion.