In the fall of 2022, the University of Toronto announced a shift in their approach to mental health care. After a string of student suicides, the university finally acknowledged their student mental health supports and resources needed to change. But how does this approach change the status quo of long wait times and unresponsive administration? How does it address the academic pressure students face, especially as students return to in-person learning after three years of isolation and virtual learning? And how are students responding to these new efforts?

This episode explores the biggest mental health concerns for college and university students, and what campus mental health care systems and resources can do about it. It also explores the vital role academic institutions and schools play in student well-being, how and why they've been falling short for years, and their plans to improve.

As a case study, host Tiffany Lam reports on what the University of Toronto is doing to address the issue of student mental health, how other post-secondary institutions compare, and how chasing prestige and future opportunities impact emerging adults today.

Read the transcript for the episode here: https://www.tvo.org/article/the-mental-health-cost-of-success-at-post-secondary-school

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If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support:

Wellness Together Canada

https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA

To connect with a mental health professional one-on-one:

• call 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth
• call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults

Kids Help Phone

Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.

The Government of Ontario’s Mental Health Support Resources

 https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

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