{"id":76068,"date":"2021-05-03T01:33:29","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T05:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=76068"},"modified":"2026-02-19T08:11:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T13:11:04","slug":"celebrating-mental-health-week","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/celebrating-mental-health-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Mental Health Week: Supporting Students Through the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Celebrating Mental Health Week: Supporting Students Through the Pandemic\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

As COVID-19 began to spread through Canada last year, Jane Doe (name redacted at the request of the student<\/em>)<\/em> <\/em>realized it was time to reach out for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fourth-year Carleton University Communications and Media Studies<\/a> student struggled with mental health issues for years\u2014sparked by the stress of being so far from her home in India and a heavy academic workload. But when COVID-19 hit, closing campus and curtailing social interactions, the burden of living through a pandemic hit especially hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt really did take the biggest toll on my mental health,\u201d says Doe.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt took me a long time to learn to cope with the pandemic and I’m still learning. It’s still a process that I’m going through.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Doe is not alone\u2014COVID-19 has exacerbated pre-existing mental health issues for many, while sparking a slew of new struggles. Physical distancing, limits on gatherings, and the switch to virtual education have played integral roles in fighting the pandemic, but they can also lead to feelings of isolation or disconnection. Potentially losing loved ones is a life-altering, traumatic event in and of itself, not to speak of job losses and housing or financial instability fuelled by COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A recent Statistics Canada study<\/a> found that one in five respondents showed symptoms of anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Of those who showed symptoms, nearly 70 per cent reported their mental health had worsened since the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt took a lot of courage to even ask for help, but I’m so glad I did,\u201d says Doe, describing the university\u2019s mental health and counselling services as \u201csuper approachable and accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One of the highlights of Doe\u2019s experience was connecting with a counsellor who is also a woman of colour. Having a counsellor well-versed in the cultural, contextual aspects of Doe\u2019s lived experience made a world of a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHaving a high sense of relatability was so important,\u201d says Doe. \u201cWith counselling, there\u2019s never a sense of judgment, but when your counsellor is someone who\u2019s just like you it’s taking that to a whole new level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doe says her work as a student ambassador<\/a> and event director for the Carleton University Public Relations Society has helped her feel connected to campus, benefiting her mental health in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI truly am really grateful to Carleton for being one of the most welcoming environments that I have ever been in,\u201d says Doe.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThe people here are so sensitive, open-minded and understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doe\u2019s sister Sarah (name redacted at the request of the student)<\/em>, a fourth-year Journalism<\/a> student, has found Carleton\u2019s therapy dog program<\/a> to be very helpful. While current public health measures mean playdates with the pups in the Carleton quad have been paused, students are still able to connect with their favourite canines through virtual office hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBack home, we have pets and (Sarah) is a huge animal lover, she draws a lot of comfort and happiness from being around animals,\u201d says Doe.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cShe really looks forward to seeing the dogs, it just lights up her whole mood.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Fourth-year Forensic Psychology<\/a> student, Amanda Loura, has found the university\u2019s Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC)<\/a> to be valuable because she lives with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and an anxiety disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI never really wanted to admit there was a problem during my first two years at Carleton,\u201d says Loura, who struggled with time management and found it difficult to write exams and tests in a room full of students. \u201cAccessing the PMC was the best thing I could have ever done for my education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Loura\u2019s PMC counsellor, Kerri Wilson, helped her secure a number of academic accommodations that have alleviated stress and mental health concerns. As someone who struggles with online learning, Loura has equal praise for her professors and especially her thesis adviser, Prof. Craig Bennell<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s so supportive and patient with me, takes the extra time to help me with my thesis and always checks in on me during the pandemic,\u201d says Loura.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s been tough completing a thesis online this year, and I could not have asked for a more supportive adviser.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Like Doe, Loura says that the pandemic intensified her own mental health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studying from home has been a challenge for Loura, who has loud neighbours. The PMC helped her secure noise-cancelling headphones and connected her with learning modules, time management courses and offered to find her a learning strategist.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThe PMC has so many ways to help support students throughout their studies, so if you need support, take advantage of all they have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For one of her forensic psychology practicums, Loura worked with the Canadian Mental Health Association\u2019s<\/a> Champlain East branch, focusing on building community mental health initiatives. She completed the practicum in January, but stayed on as a volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also completed a placement with Carleton\u2019s Mental Health and Well-Being services<\/a>, co-producing a video on tackling the stigma around mental illness, highlighting resources available on campus and encouraging students to reach out for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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