By Karoline Achille

The period of childhood, adolescence and young adulthood is a high-risk age group for the development of several forms of psychopathology, particularly anxiety disorders (Kessler et al., 2005). According to a survey by the Association of Directors of University and College Counseling Centers, anxiety remains the main concern among students (41.6%), followed by depression (36.4%) and relationship problems (35.8%) (Mistler et al, 2012). The American Association of Universities for Health in Canada found similar results. Nearly 33% of students reported anxiety about their academic performance (American College Health Association, 2016). University students are experiencing a type of anxiety that is unknown to the general population as they face: debt accumulation and repayment of school debt, rising tuition fees, paid work, balancing social life, academic success and uncertainty about the labour market after graduation (Kaniasty, Moore, Howard & Buchwald, 2014).

Before examining the prevalence of anxiety disorders in Ontario, we need to examine the systemic challenges in mental health. If we look at Canadian provincial governments, we find that Ontario spends a little less on mental health than the national average, a difference of 7.2% (Institute of Health Economics, 2010). In addition, while Ontario invested an additional $18.5 billion in health care over the same period, the per capita investment was $1,361 in health care, compared to $16.45 per capita for mental health (Lurie, 2014). In 2016, through a survey of students across Ontario, researchers found that 65% of post-secondary students reported having exhausting anxiety (Ontario Universities, 2017). These results corroborate a study conducted at Queen’s University where nearly 62% of the students surveyed living with psychological disorders experienced a decline in academic performance (60%), health problems (57%) and absenteeism from school or work (48%) (Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, 2014). According to an online survey commissioned by Children’s Mental Health in Ontario from a representative sample of 806 Ontarians, 50% of Ontario parents have already expressed concerns about their child’s anxiety level and 33% of Ontario parents have encouraged their child to miss school because of anxiety (2017).

Finally, it should be added that suicide is the second leading cause of death among Canadian youth after accidents on the road (Statistics Canada, 2015). We must also mention the stigma associated with psychological disorders. According to studies by Rosenthal and Wilson (2008), more than 75% of students with significant psychological distress do not consult professionals because of this stigma. The reality of Canadian university students living in Ontario is characterized by stressors such as academic achievement, financial stress, rising tuition fees and other factors that make them vulnerable to anxiety disorders.

Author Bio

My name is Karoline Achille, I am a first-year student in the Master’s in Counselling Psychology at the University of Ottawa. My Master’s thesis focuses on the issues faced by university students in a minority context. I am a former undergraduate student and I am familiar with the reality of undergraduate students. These students are experiencing a lot of stress in many areas of their lives as they study.

References:

Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (2014). Guide d’intervention fédérale en santé mentale étudiante, Ottawa, ACAE. Retrouvé sur le site : http://www.acae-casa.com/guide_d_ intervention_f_d_rale_en_sant_mentale_tudiante

Children’s Mental Health Ontario (2017) “Children and Youth Mental Health Survey: Getting Help in Ontario.” Ipsos, Retrouvé le site : www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/CMHO-children-and-youth-mental-health-ontario

Institute of Health Economics (2010) The Cost of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Canada Report. Retrouvé sur le site: http://www.ihe.ca/document/Cost%20of%20Mental%20Health%20Services%20in%20Canada%20Report%20June% 202010.pdf

Kaniasty, Krzysztof, et al. (2014) Stress and Anxiety Applications to Social and Environmental Threats, Psychological Well-Being, Occupational Challenges, and Developmental Psychology. Logos Berlin,

Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE (2005) Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry; 62:593–602.

Lurie, S. (2014). Why Can’t Canada Spend More on Mental Health? Health, 6, 684-690.

Mistler, B, et coll. (2012) “The AUCCCD Annual Survey and Report Overview.” The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, www.aucccd.org.

Ontario’s Universities (2017) Mental Health. Retrouvé sur le site: ontariosuniversities.ca/issues-priorities/student-supports.

Statistics Canada. (2015). Deaths and causes of death, 2015. Retrouvé sur le site : https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/180223/dq180223c-eng.htm Statistics Canada. 2011. “2011 Census of Canada: Topic-based Tabulations, Language Composition (Detailed Mother Tongue, Knowledge of Official Languages, Age Groups and Sex)” Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

Rosenthal, B. et Wilson, W.C. (2008). Mental health services: Use and disparity among diverse college students. Journal Of American College Health: J Of ACH, 57(1), 61-68.