McGill University has announced a significant investment into providing more mental health services for its students.
The announcement of a new $14-million student wellness hub is funded in part by the Rossy Foundation.
“This means providing students with timely mental health care of the highest quality, while also creating opportunities for students to promote their own well-being through awareness, prevention, and early intervention programs,” said Stephanie Rossy of the Rossy Foundation.
The university surveyed students on how they cope with stress and anxiety and found that some resort to alcohol, drugs, and even self-harm.
At the same time, students were on six-month waiting lists to speak to counsellors.
“Students basically waited until they were in such distress that they were having trouble functioning,” said Martine Gauthier, executive director of student services.
The Rossy Hub, as it's being called, was welcome news for some students who said mental health is a big issue among their peers.
“I feel like by having a one-stop shop kind of puts all the students who have all these problems together, in close enough range,” said Anne-Sophie Guernon, of Stronger Than Stigma: McGill Students for Mental Health.
“People are coming forward now, but not only that, there are now resources and funding going into that,” said McGill student Thomas Mienkowski.
McGill University will look to spread the word about the Rossy Hub to as many students as possible – and are discussing various awareness methods, including social media and notifying new students in their acceptance letter.
Construction on the new hub will finish in April.
