By Mira Sucharov, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
With general increasing awareness around mental health issues, professors may have more of a role to play than they realize. While we may not be therapists or physicians, we may be well positioned to support our students not only intellectually, but emotionally too.
Since the U.S. election results, followed closely by the spate of swastika and hateful graffiti attacks across Ottawa, I have been feeling emotionally on edge. I suspect many others have too. To address what I suspect may be a far-reaching mood, I have invited my students — both via an in-class announcement and a group email message — to please consider coming to see me if they are also feeling personally shaken by any of the events of the past couple of weeks. I have offered to chat in person, by phone, or digitally. And, I added, I may need to lean on them too.
As Canadians, we sit somewhat awkwardly on the sidelines of U.S. politics — not directly affected by whatever domestic policy changes the Trump administration rolls out — but likely worrying nonetheless about the erosion of civil liberties in the country which many of us identify with in a sort of automatic way via the media, social media and popular culture. The Southern Poverty Law Center has reported hundreds of incidents of hateful harassment and intimidation since the election. If the recent attacks in Ottawa — and similarly hateful incidents reported elsewhere in Canada — are at all connected to the racist and xenophobic discourse the Trump campaign unleashed, then we have every reason to feel a direct stake in the election fallout as well.
While as scholars we are trained to parse and analyze — and we indeed want to instill these kinds of detached analytical skills in our students — we should not forget that events can take a personal toll. When I reflect on times of emotional uncertainty or anxiety in my own life, I realize how many different kinds of people I’ve leaned on — not all of them trained therapists. I’ve had heartfelt and vulnerable discussions with my yoga teachers, my basketball coach, colleagues, friends and family. Surely as instructors and professors who possess a range of life experiences and knowledge areas, we are a potentially important untapped resource for our students.
Since my email and in-class announcements, a couple of students have emailed me offering their support. It reminds me that when it comes to healthy societies — and nurturing campuses — we are all in this together.