According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the second global leading cause of death of people between the ages of 15 and 29. Every year, 6.5 percent of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 experience depression (CMHA); in British Columbia specifically, 17 percent of female university students, and 8 percent of males, reported that they have had suicidal thoughts in the last year (MCS).
Colleges and universities nationwide are working toward developing programs that support students’ mental health. From individual counseling to group therapy sessions, SFU’s health and counseling services provide a variety of counseling options to suit every student’s needs. Counseling services also run outreach events, workshops, and a wellness blog that promote mental health.
The unacknowledged disconnect is that, although efforts in preventing and treating depression have increased, the suicide rates in British Columbia remain consistent. Looking at the current availability of counseling in most BC colleges and universities in proportion to their continuous increase of students, the steady suicide rate indicates that counseling services still aren’t readily accessible.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada states that depression can be experienced through varying symptoms. While many individuals experience depression emotionally, others experience the illness physically. Unlike a common cold—which can be diagnosed by a sore throat or a cough—the symptoms of depression vary from person to person, which makes depression difficult to pin down and label. This is usually the main reason why individuals do not seek counseling when in a state of major depression.
Although health and counseling services at SFU offer a variety of options and resources, the process of seeking these services can seem intimidating to many students. SFU’s counseling services website explains that the first step to speaking with a counselor is to fill out a form to bring to the first session. This is a customary measure among other public mental health servies of British Columbia so that the counselor can gain a sense of the patient’s personal and medical history. However, this rigid formatting and additional required effort creates more barriers between students and the counseling services available to them. SFU’s mental health services are structured in a way in which they must be sought out. Additionally, they are rarely discussed socially among students, and lack adequate advertising on-campus.
A reconditioning of the health and counseling services at SFU, as well as many other Canadian colleges and universities, could be the only way to create a difference in the lives of those students who struggle with depression. Treatment can greatly affect these individuals’ lives, but only if these services become more easily attainable and more publicly advertised. Just as importantly, depression should also be brought into public dialogue to help eliminate stigmas attached to mental illness.
If you are struggling with depression, you can access SFU’s mental health resources or set up a counseling appointment through the SFU health and counseling services website.