Campus Mental Health: A Whole Community Responsibility

Tom Brophy¹, Tamara Leary², and Rick Ezekiel<sup>3

1</sup>Saint Mary’s University
²Royal Roads University
³Dalhousie University

Introduction

The post-secondary ecosystem consists of a variety of inter-related but unique populations including, but not limited to, students, faculty, and staff.  The awareness of and sensitivity to mental health as a topic is becoming more of a priority in the post-secondary environment.  Banning’s (1974) groundbreaking model identified the importance in the collective ecological system in ensuring and supporting the success of the developing student.  Such a model aligns well with the Socio-Ecological Model for Health promotion and the inter-relationship between the student, interpersonal, institutional and community level (Lisnyj et al., 2021).  The communication interplay between these elements is critical in understanding the post-secondary environment and how they interrelate to shape the student experience and the overall mental health of the institution.

The National Standard for Psychological Health in the workplace from the Mental Health Commission of Canada offers public and private organizations a framework to develop and implement the tools and resources necessary to promote the psychological wellbeing of employees.  This Standard extends higher education institutions’ attention on mental health and wellness beyond students to include staff, faculty, and community members. A holistic approach in the development and provision of mental health services and supports is promoted by governments and agencies such as the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Canadian Association for College and University Student Services, and the 2015 Okanogan Charter (Di Placito-De Rango, 2018) and requires collaboration and cooperation between faculty and staff (Margrove et al., 2014).

This chapter is written by a faculty member and two senior university administrators (who are also sessional instructors) with each author sharing their perspective on, and experiences with, the present-day realities of mental health and wellbeing for students, faculty and staff.

Post-secondary Student Mental Health in 2023: Where are we, and where do we go next?

Student mental health has been a priority within post-secondary institutions, and among mental health experts over the past two decades. Since 1998, it was clear that post-secondary students report elevated psychological distress at significantly greater rates, with 41.1% of students in an Ontario sample demonstrating elevated distress on the general health questionnaire (GHQ-12), compared to 22.8% of individuals in a sample of the general population of adults aged 19-25 (Adlaf et al., 2001 ). This trend has continued and expanded over time. Canada has seen positive gains in post-secondary education participation, with 73% of Canadians aged 25-34 having a post-secondary credential in 2019 compared to 59% in 2000. There remains a disparity in access to post-secondary education by family socioeconomic status (Frenette & Zeman, 2021). Forty-nine percent of Canadians aged 19-23 whose parents did not hold a high-school diploma accessed post-secondary education, compared to 75% of those who has at least one parent with a post-secondary education, with disparities emerging by income as well (Statistics Canada, 2021). Significant efforts have been made to foster greater participation and inclusion in post-secondary education for Indigenous students, racialized students, and traditionally underrepresented groups including single parents and mature students. Barriers to access among these communities also frequently occur through socioeconomic mechanisms and broader systemic barriers within our societies. Further, it is imperative to recognize that mental health services and systems and structures within post-secondary environments must evolve to meet the goals and needs, as our learners become ever more diverse.

Youth with a mental health condition or disability are significantly less likely to enroll in post-secondary education. In 2000-2001, 60% of youth with a diagnosed neurodevelopmental condition and 48% of youth with a mental health condition enrolled in post-secondary education, in comparison to 77% of youth in the broader population (Arim & Frenette, 2019). The number of post-secondary students with disabilities, notably neurodevelopmental (particularly learning) and mental health conditions, has increased significantly over the past 30 years, potentially signalling improvement in access and participation and reduction in disability-related disparities (Sukhai et al., 2018 ). However, it is also important to note that the general incidence rate of youth with a diagnosed learning or mental health condition also increased significantly during this same period, yet there was not a significant change in the proportion of post-secondary students with sensory or physical disabilities. From 2013-2019, the proportion of post-secondary students reporting symptoms of psychological distress, including self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts significantly increased (Linden et al., 2021 ). Academic stress remains the most reported stressor over time within the National College Health Assessment, Canadian reference group (American College Health Association, 2022).

Future trends in post-secondary student mental health are likely to be impacted by gaps in academic and social-emotional learning emerging during and following COVID-19-related school closures. Early indicators signal the greatest learning losses and disruptions to healthy child development occurred among youth from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, Indigenous and racialized youth, and students with disabilities (Gallagher-Mackay et al., 2021). Additionally, Canadian students in grades 4-12 who learned primarily online during the COVID-19 pandemic self-reported lower rates of mattering in their school environments, linked to important concepts such as academic engagement and sense of belonging. Sense of belonging and mattering are drivers of academic performance and social emotional learning, and it is reasonable to expect downstream effects of these phenomena on post-secondary student engagement and well-being (Vaillancourt et al., 2022).  Students who were in grade one in 2020 would begin entering post-secondary education in 2032. This signals that we will have both the challenge and opportunity in post-secondary education to effectively support students who have experienced educational, social, and emotional developmental impacts of the pandemic as they enter post-secondary education over the decade ahead (Gallagher-Mackay et al., 2021).

Several indicators point to increases in reporting of psychological distress and demands for mental health services within post-secondary education in Canada. At the same time, trends point to increases in post-secondary education participation among youth from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, historically underrepresented and excluded sociodemographic groups, and those with pre-existing neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. At least partially, we see some of these trends as positive indicators of greater access and inclusion in post-secondary education. As the make-up of students accessing post-secondary education evolves, and we grapple with our opportunities to support students whose learning and development was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so must our institutional services and educational conditions to promote student well-being and success.

In 2020, the Psychological Standard for Post-secondary Student Mental Health and Wellbeing was published and offers a tool to align efforts to enhance student mental health at a whole-of-institution level (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2020). The Standard utilizes a socio-ecological model to consider the multi-level efforts institutions should consider when developing a comprehensive mental health strategy, including: a supportive, safe and inclusive educational environment, literacy, education, and stigma reduction, accessibility, early intervention, mental health supports, and crisis management postvention.

The framework considers psychosocial and sociocultural factors existing outside the individual, and sometimes the individual, which are contextual factors in supporting mental health. This psychological standard, in context of the developmental and educational student mental health context shaped above, helps offer some insights into potential priorities and trends to support student mental health in the years ahead.

Many institutions have made great strides in enhancing professional mental health services and availability on campuses. That said, we still have much work to do on enhancing educational conditions to support student wellbeing, and creating resilient communities through upstream, proactive efforts. These efforts are key as a primarily reactive or responsive professional service model are unlikely to be sustainable in their absence. Priorities moving ahead include building more accessible learning environments, promoting sense of belonging, and promoting inclusion, visibility and representation, each explored further below.

Building more accessible learning environments will be critical to ensuring postsecondary curriculum and pedagogies are proactively responsive to student needs, reducing reliance on accommodations as primary focus. Tools offered by the Universal Design for Learning framework suggest many helpful strategies to creating more accessible academic environments (CAST, 2018). Many institutions are struggling to meet demand for formal academic accommodations, and formal accommodations processes have been shown to be burdensome, stressful, and pose additional barriers for students (Fischer et al., 2017). Building inclusive and accessible curricula, physical spaces, and utilizing universal design principles in pedagogical design will be critical for a sustainable path forward that meets students’ accessibility needs and promotes well-being.

Building supportive living and learning environments that promote a sense of belonging will establish community resilience and a supportive environment as students navigate the inevitable stressors they will face in their lives and learning during university. These efforts support student mental health through positive, human-human interactions in non-clinical settings. This includes building residence, co-curricular and academic spaces that promote connection and belonging. Research clearly shows that, for example, residence styles that promote connection over privacy drive better outcomes regarding student social engagement, well-being and academic outcomes (McCartney & Rosenvasser, 2023). Additionally, research tells us that institutional environments that promote interpersonal and psychosocial support (academic sense of belonging) are effective at mitigating the negative consequences of stress and distress on academic and personal well-being (Ezekiel, 2021).

Engaging in continued efforts to promote inclusion, representation and visibility in post-secondary communities, and culturally responsive health and mental health services where students can see their identities and experiences reflected, will be critical as we continue to evolve professional health and mental health services to responsively meet student needs.

As we contemplate upstream, proactive, and whole institution approaches to promoting student mental health and well-being, is it critical that we also consider the capacity and experience of faculty who are often a first point of contact for supporting students in distress. See the chapter, Promoting Post-Secondary Student Well-Being, for a more in depth discussion on this topic. Classrooms are the one place within post-secondary institutions where we can reach all students, and where every student directly interacts with the institution and its representatives – predominantly through their faculty. We must continue to invest in faculty mental health, and their capacity to empathetically support and refer students to build thriving postsecondary institutions.

Mental Health in the Classroom: Not just a student issue.

Faculty are a frequent point of contact for students whether they are attending class in person or online, with the latter having become even more common since the pandemic. Faculty have been identified as having a frontline role (Ramluggun et al., 2022), serving as a “first responder” (CACUSS & CMHA, 2014; Di Placito-De Rango, 2018), and being “gatekeepers” (Halladay et al., 2022) in supporting students wellbeing.  Given a student’s regular and visible contact with faculty, it stands to reason that institutions need to understand how to effectively engage faculty in the development and delivery of student mental health supports and services. Research has focused on the students’ experience with mental health and wellbeing (Ramluggun et al., 2022; Roberts, 2018), and on the trends and prevalence of mental health and addiction among post-secondary students (MacKean, 2011), but little has been researched about the lived experiences of faculty in supporting students with their mental health and well-being (Di Placito-De Rango, 2018; 2022, Kalkbrenner, 2016; Kalkbrenner et al., 2021; Read et al., 2023) or about the impact on faculty mental health from the pressures of the role including the expectation to have the knowledge and skills to effectively respond to students’ mental health struggles (Cordaro et al., 2024; Melnyk et al., 2021).

As noted in the chapter, Promoting Post-Secondary Student Well-Being, in this volume, with respect to supporting students’ mental health, faculty are in a prime position given the opportunity to develop working relationships with students through regular communication about course work and assignments. The frequent interaction with students provides opportunity to witness struggles with mental health. These interactions that might signal the presence of mental health struggles can include repeatedly missed assignment due dates and late submissions; little to no engagement with their classmates; little or strained participation in team assignments or activities; absenteeism; and curt or rude written communication to other students or to the faculty members. These indications may present differently working in a digital learning environment but are similar in the student disengaging in their learning experience.

Any time a faculty member reaches out to a student to help with what they suspect may be a mental health issue there is an element of risk for both parties. The outreach may be well received and there is no problem. However, the other possibilities may be less positive and may include: the student’s resentment toward the faculty; student-faculty boundaries may be blurred for one or both parties (Ramluggun et al., 2022), or one party may misinterpret the intent of the other.  Training in mental health support is one way to educate faculty on how to best to support a student in crisis and can mitigate any potential conflict between the student and faculty member.

Because a faculty member is in front of the classroom does not necessarily mean they are equipped to deal with the full suite of issues students may present. Having the skills and knowledge to provide mental health support and guidance to students is not a requirement of the traditional faculty role comprised of teaching, research, and service (Di Placito-De Rango, 2018; Ramluggunet et al., 2014) and may be something some faculty are uncomfortable dealing with (Laws & Fielder, 2012). While faculty may be able to identify “warning signs” of a student struggling with mental health wellness (Di Placito-De Rango, 2022) and have a genuine interest in supporting students’ mental health, they may not have the knowledge, or skills, to do so effectively (Laws & Fielder, 2012; Margrove et al., 2014; Ramluggun et al., 2022). It is important to note as Di Placito-De Rango (2018) does, that having faculty involved as a support for student mental health does not mean faculty are expected to offer an assessment or diagnosis. Instead, their role is to be able to guide students to appropriate resources and supports, ensure a safe learning environment that values and promotes mental health and wellness, and to be actively engaged in their institution’s efforts for mental health and wellness (p.285).  Faculty tend to be most comfortable with referring students onto appropriate mental health resources (Kalkbrenner et al., 2021) which reinforces the need for faculty to be fully aware of the institution’s supports and services and how to access them.  Typically, Student Affairs professionals will take the initiative to reach out to faculty members to provide updated information on the campus mental health resources for students. It is of tremendous benefit for faculty and students to have those resources within quick reach.

In addition to an institution being proactively attentive to students’ mental health, there is a need to understand the types of issues faculty may face with their own mental health and wellbeing.  Research has identified that faculty cope with common mental health disorders like generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder as well the less well known but equally concerning disorder of compassion fatigue (Cordaro et al., 2024). A simple definition of compassion fatigue is the negative effects of helping others (Gentry, 2002) or caregiving which are vital components of teaching and working with students. The provision of student “pastoral” care (Laws & Fielder, 2012) as a part of the faculty role should not be perceived as a given.  Ramluggun et al. (2022) argue that training time and the emotional labor and stress that can accompany supporting students with their mental health are responsibilities added onto already full faculty job description. Cordaro et al. (2024) posit that for some faculty their own mental health is compromised further by being in a role that expects or requires them to care for the wellbeing of others – namely their students. Researchers have found that faculty will hide or diminish their mental health illnesses for fear of being viewed or judged as weak or incompetent (Cordaro at al., 2024, p.2). In a profession that is known for its peer scrutiny and isolating work environment, it is not hard to understand why one would be reluctant to reveal a mental health illness.

Ultimately faculty are responsible for their own mental health and wellbeing, their need for institutional supports does not trump students’ needs. Their role in student mental health is not limited to the classroom either.  In fact, they can play an active role in advancing the mental health literacy (Halladay et al., 2022; Kitzrow, 2003; Read et al., 2023) within the campus community by actively engaging in mental health initiatives throughout their campus.

Institutions however must consider that faculty too may be dealing with mental health issues and not assume that faculty have the knowledge, ability, or capacity to effectively support students with mental health issues. So, in addition to mental health training, it is perhaps even more of a priority to ensure faculty have current knowledge of where students can access the appropriate resources to assist them in times of crisis.

Employee Mental Health in the Post-Secondary Environment: CHallenges and opportunities

The mental health of staff in the post-secondary workplace continues to be a concern for this sector. In addition to the mental health challenges being faced by students and faculty, post-secondary employees are also under growing strain (Batista et al., 2022).  The pressure on post-secondary environments to provide more supports to students that mirror the broader mental and physical health supports in the provincial environments continues to grow.  This considering growing legal claims in situations where it has been felt that cases have not been handled appropriately lead to intense media coverage, launched internal and external reviews and in some instances protracted and expensive legal cases.   Over the past couple of decades there have been instances where institutions have been accused of not appropriately handling situations that involved student mental health issues (Whitley & Berry, 2013).  The work environment for employees who are expected to do more with less resources creates a fertile situation for stress and mental health challenges.  This reality has been further exasperated by recent changes in Canadian immigration policies to put further limits on the financial requirements (DeRosa, 2024; Rushowy, 2024) and on the numbers and types of programs international students can enroll in to enter Canada. As Rushowy (2024) notes, “almost half Ontario’s universities are now running deficits, with schools warning that student services will face cuts if the government does not provide a bump in funding…” These are but a few instances of stressful work situations that contribute to mental health challenges within the workplace.

In a Mental Health Research Canada survey conducted in summer 2023, a number of post-COVID realities were identified to confirm much of what has been anecdotally identified by senior university leadership.  These include the reality that 39% of respondents feel economic issues are impacting their mental health.  The impacts of inflation are affecting Canadians with 24% reporting having gone into debt as a result. Since COVID, people are struggling to make ends meet with housing and food insecurity growing at alarming rates across Canada.  According to the same survey, 23% of Canadians are concerned about their ability to make rent or mortgage payments and 37% are struggling to feed themselves and their families. These statistics are alarming because suicidal ideation among Canadians experiencing financial challenges is alarmingly high with 41% reporting having thought about suicide in the last year.

In addition to financial concerns, the Mental Health Research Canada (2023) survey showed that 27% of Canadians are currently dealing with chronic pain.  Although more prevalent among older respondents (35%), more than one in seven (14%) younger Canadians (18-34 years old) also report currently experiencing chronic pain.  The NASPA 2022 Compass Report identified that compensation packages (88%), workplace stress (84%) and feeling underappreciated (81%) are top reasons cited for student affairs professionals leaving the field (Batista et al., 2022).  The same report showed that almost one third of respondents are not sure if they will continue in the profession in the next five years and approximately 25% of respondents indicated they are uncertain if they would recommend the profession.

The current workforce now consists of 33% Millennials (people born between 1981-1996), currently making up the largest portion of the workforce.  This is followed by 29.5% Gen Xers (born between 1966-1980), 19.7% were Baby Boomers (1946-1965), and 17.6% were Gen Zs (born between 1997 – 2012).  The Millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z generations are more educated and diverse than previous generations and have grown in a world that is more spiritually, gender and culturally diverse than what has been seen by previous generations. (Statistics Canada, May 2021).  They equally do not report finding work as rewarding or tend to stay with the one employer as much as previous generations opting to move to change employment in hopes of finding a better work environment.  With all the potential and technological savvy of the Millennial and Gen Z generations also come additional mental health considerations as the Ipsos (2021) survey found that 74% of these generations are currently identifying having mental health conditions.  This compared to 64% for Gen X and 40% for Boomers makes the reality of working and leading in a post-secondary environment even more important to be aware and respectful of the mental health realities in which we are currently operating.

It is critical that staff check their own wellbeing as professionals as well as the many socio-economic, health and mental health realities that are clearly factors in todays’ workplace.  Staff will have to be empathetic and trusting in this reality and know that as much as they may suspect these realities, we often may not be directly aware of these challenges.  According to a report by Mental Health Research Canada (2022) 21% of educators (and 22% of first responders) feel it is rarely or never safe to speak up at work.  As such, we cannot assume that lack of feedback should infer that all is well.

Research is showing more and more that there are expectations within the post-secondary sector for staff to always be available and to be emotionally detached in our dealings with students, parents, and the general public (Mistretta & DuBois, 2019).  Such expectations can lead to employee burnout and compassion fatigue.  Many post-secondary staff roles involve continued exposure to continued stressful topics and/or environments.  Such exposure can lead to burnout which can present in three ways: “…overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, and a feeling of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment” (p.142).  When such feelings become overwhelming it can affect both work performance and personal health and wellbeing.  These feelings and symptoms are personally and professional challenging for some professionals who have developed a unrealistically high expectation of themselves to be the `ideal employee’.  Many post-secondary professionals involved in student services, may feel they have to be, “…totally competent, knowledgeable, and able to help everyone.” (Mistretta & DuBois, 2021, p. 143-144).  All this exceptional ability in a completely emotionally neutral manner and employees feeling overwhelmed should not come as a surprise.

There are several complexities leading to employee burnout in the post-secondary environment and not surprisingly, there are a variety of potential considerations that can be employed to mitigate such burnout related challenges.  Getting frequent exercise can allow for increased ability to handle and to relieve mounting stress.  Similarly, meditation and various relaxation techniques may also provide opportunities reduce the impacts of physical and psychological stress.   Such focus on being present, positive visualization and reflection can help provide time for realistic self-awareness to be best able to conceptualize the causes and potential solutions to stress.  The pressure evident in post-secondary to be the ‘ideal worker’ is something all employees need to be aware of and they need to be conscious of not over-extending themselves in hopes of attaining these impossible goals.  Steps such as striving to create clear work-life boundaries, better time management, intentionality of breaks and social interactions with work colleagues can help to provide much needed outlets, boundaries and supports.  Conversations between employees and supervisors could focus on development of self-care plans which could include much of what has been highlighted above (Mistretta & DuBois, 2021, p. 150-153).

Many employee roles in the post-secondary environment involve responding to traumatic experiences either in helping students and fellow staff members work through personal and/or professional stress.  Supervisors need to be intentional in helping staff to debrief on these secondary trauma experiences.  Debriefing can be low impact that does not necessarily get into the core and more detailed information of the situations, which allows for the outlet of the stress while not re-traumatizing the individual.  (Mistretta & DuBois, 2021, p. 143-144) Such conversations can allow for confirmation of successful efforts and a chance to constructively build on these experiences to further enhance professional competencies.  Senior level administrative employees can also help to counteractive ideal worker norms by exemplifying work life balance, encouraging professional development for staff, supporting the prioritization of social opportunities for their staff, developing mentorship programs, and speaking openly about principles of work-life balance, burnout and modelling positive and balanced work behaviours (Mistretta & DuBois, 2021, p.152-155).  Encouraging work flex and work from home opportunities, and both modelling by taking vacation time and actively encouraging it amongst staff are also tangible steps that can have powerful impacts.  Finally, it is important to find time to acknowledge staff both publicly and/or privately for exceptional work and accomplishments.  These do not need to be grandiose expressions but simply show an appreciation that may be lacking from our respective workplaces.  All of these will be helpful, but creating a supportive environment for those who need to take time off from work when needed will go a long way in helping staff feel safe and supported.  Equally senior administrators, need to be willing to take time off themselves when feeling overstretched and drained.  Senior administrators need to find support either within their institution amongst fellow colleagues or through engaging with people in similar roles at other institutions through professional organizations.  The airlines pre-flight training masking steps clearly are applicable, we must take care of ourselves first before we can take care of others.

Conclusion

The post-secondary landscape continues to change and expand.  Increasing societal demands, continual funding challenges as governments reduce funding support and the evolving understanding of, and acceptance of mental health in the workplace will make this a reality that all professionals in this sector will need to become accustomed.  In doing this, we will need to be aware of our own mental health, the mental health of those with whom we work (both faculty and staff), parents/guardians of students, and most certainly the students whom we serve. Ultimately, building communities that are resilient and promote well-being is a collective responsibility, and we all have the opportunity – staff, faculty, students, and leaders – to contribute to community conditions enriched by positive relationships, purpose in our work and studies, and that promote our individual and collective well-being.

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