Mental health: a Concordia guide
One in five Canadians can expect to suffer from mental illness in their lifetime. Two out of three of those will do so in silence.
This October 10, as World Mental Health Day shines a spotlight on the issue, here’s what Concordians can do to help — and to seek help.
In Montreal
The Centre for Clinical Research in Health (CCRH) in the Faculty of Arts and Science takes a highly engaged approach to research, training and the provision of mental-health services.
Undergraduate and graduate students can volunteer as research assistants in the CCRH’s laboratories; which are devoted to the study of mental health problems and their treatment.
The Department of Psychology houses the Applied Psychology Centre (APC), a full-service mental-health training clinic that is accessible to all of Greater Montreal.
On campus
For Concordians, Health Services is a one-stop shop. Know someone who is experiencing symptoms of mental illness? The first step is to see a nurse.
According to the 2013 National College Health Assessment, 30 per cent of Concordia students are adversely affected by stress. With that in mind, Health Services offers advice on how to build good mental health, as well as counselling and psychological services for students.
On October 15, there will be an outreach event at Concordia.
Dale Robinson, manager and psychologist with Counselling and Psychological Services, says the event is an opportunity for students to do a quick check-in of their mood and stress levels. “There will be a psychologist on hand to answer questions, and lots of information about different mental health resources.”
For staff and faculty, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides voluntary, strictly confidential counselling, as well as information and referrals.
Students looking to make a difference may want to check out Jack.org Concordia, a mental health club registered with the Concordia Student Union. Affiliated with the Jack.org national network of young leaders, it is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health services on and off campus. Student leaders work to create year-round interest in mental health issues through activities such as speakers’ series, movie screenings, poetry nights, walks and more.
The Sexual Assault Resource Centre is available for those who have experienced, or been affected by, sexual violence and/or harassment and provides crisis intervention and support for individuals.
If mental health issues get in the way of completing academic work, the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities can offer accommodations that may help.
Mental health at work
According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, at least 500,000 employed Canadians are unable to work in any given week due to related problems.
During Concordia’s 2013 edition of the Thinking Out Loud conversation series, Steve Harvey, dean of the John Molson School of Business, sat down with Mary Deacon, chair of Bell Let’s Talk, to discuss mental health in the workplace.
The conversation centred around how organizations are being impacted — financially and operationally — by mental illness and what they can do about it. Watch the full conversation on YouTube.
Additional resources
The Information and Referral Centre of Greater Montreal provides information on hundreds of community resources. It directs people seeking help to the agencies that provide the right services.
The Canadian Mental Health Association’s guide to college and university for students with psychiatric disabilities is an online resource that focuses on particular aspects of the post-secondary school experience.
If you’re in need of assistance, contact Health Services to schedule an appointment. Staff and faculty can also reach out to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential counselling.
To learn more about many other Concordia resources for grads and undergrads, visit Student Services.