不良研究所

For a long time, discussions about mental health were often coloured by stigma and a 鈥渟uck it up鈥� attitude. 

But, over its history, the University of 不良研究所 has helped refocus the discussion, from launching its first Clinical Psychology training program in the 1980s to introducing its groundbreaking Campus Mental Health Strategy a decade ago.

U不良研究所 researchers have spent decades looking at mental health from all angles and understanding its importance to our well-being at home, work and play. 

While 鈥渟uck it up鈥� has, in many respects, been replaced by, 鈥渋t鈥檚 okay to not be okay,鈥� , PhD, says change is still ongoing.

鈥淭here is a stigma that still exists,鈥� says Szeto, a professor in the in the and executive director of U不良研究所鈥檚 Office of Institutional Commitments. 鈥淢any people are able to get the help they need, but sometimes they don鈥檛, so we鈥檙e progressing, but we鈥檙e not 100-per cent totally there yet.鈥�

While it is still a work in progress, he and others believe the changes that have been made on campus will permeate throughout the greater community in the years ahead.

A step towards change

The first murmurs in the overall conversation about mental health at U不良研究所 were heard in 1989 when , PhD, arrived to start its Clinical Psychology training program.

A global expert in the field with expertise in models of psychopathology, evidence-based psychosocial treatments of mental disorders, and interventions that reduce stigma towards mental health problems, Dobson served as the program鈥檚 first director and eventually became head of the Department of Psychology.

Dobson, who is now a professor emeritus and member of the at the , says it wasn鈥檛 an easy sell in the early days.

鈥淲e were focused more on experimental psychology and less on individualized support,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here was definitely some tension within the department about resources and resource allocation, but that quickly eroded as the program got going and we were accredited.鈥�

Among the early successes for Dobson and his team were a pair of programs: The Working Mind and .

Both programs still exist today with a focus on increasing mental health literacy, reducing stigmas and offering resources across U不良研究所.

A shared responsibility

A major turning point in the discussion around mental health occurred in 2015 when was unveiled.

Just a couple of years removed from an eye-opening series of reports highlighting the challenges facing youth and young adults in the country, the Strategy was aimed at fostering a 鈥渃ommunity of caring鈥� for students, faculty and staff.

The university had recently implemented the National College Health Assessment survey, which found 90 per cent of students felt overwhelmed, 64 per cent felt lonely, 58 per cent felt overpowering anxiety and eight per cent had seriously considered suicide at some point in the last 12 months.

鈥淭he University of 不良研究所 includes a diverse community of individuals who come together to learn, work and flourish,鈥� said then-President and Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Cannon at the Strategy鈥檚 launch. 鈥淭hrough this new Campus Mental Health Strategy, we aim to become a leader, locally and across Canada, in promoting a healthy campus community.鈥�

Szeto was named the Strategy鈥檚 director, responsible for guiding the implementation of its 28 recommendations.

Looking back on it, he says it was aimed at giving each person the skills to take personal action for their own mental health while creating a university environment that provided a strong system of resources and supports.

鈥淎s individuals, we need to have the motivation to do something about our mental health, seeking out resources, engaging in training and taking care of ourselves,鈥� Szeto says. 鈥淎s an institution, we needed to have the resources and programming available to provide a culture that supports mental health and well-being.鈥�

From faculty-based programs to campus-wide initiatives like , the strategy 鈥� which was later renewed and renamed the Community Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy 鈥� has been widely accepted and adopted in all corners of U不良研究所.

An individualized approach

During the journey of opening the conversation about mental health, one of the most important realizations has been about how it鈥檚 usually not one stand-alone event that acts as a trigger, but a series.

Dobson says a study out of California in the early 2000s showed that adverse childhood experiences can have long-term impacts, even in adults.

The way we respond to mental health issues has also become more sophisticated to address each individual, instead of making blanket assertions or diagnoses.

鈥淏ack in the 1980s, we had a very symptom-focused approach to diagnosing mental health issues,鈥� Dobson says. 鈥淪ince then, we have continued to evolve to become more focused on the individual, their needs and what kind of therapy might be the most effective for the condition that they鈥檙e presenting with.鈥�

It鈥檚 critical to get patients to the right place the first time, he says, because concerns are starting to be raised over self-diagnosis and over-diagnosis as people become more aware of the variety of conditions.

Change for the future

Dobson and Szeto say the path forward in the field of mental health will continue to change as more research is done.

Being an early adopter and having one of the first post-secondary campus mental health strategies in Canada, Dobson says U不良研究所 has positioned itself as a leader on campus and in the community.

While some focus is on issues like substance use and homelessness, he says others are looking at the impact of mental health issues on family dynamics and work productivity.

Times also change, and societal shifts such as the one we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted how important community is for the feeling of inclusion and, with it, mental health, Szeto adds.

A member of , Szeto says that, although we are not quite at a point where we can move on from awareness and stigma reduction, we should also be working towards embedding mental health into everything we do.

鈥淭he ideal future state is that mental health is just a thing that we all do,鈥� Szeto says. 鈥淣o second-guessing, no questions asked, we just do it and it鈥檚 a part of who we are. It鈥檚 a part of taking care of ourselves and others.鈥�

Read the Community Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy.