Mental health committee releases first report

Mental health committee releases first report

September 11, 2014

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Mental Health Report
Queen's students walk along University Avenue on Thursday. The Provost鈥檚 Advisory Committee on Mental Health has released its first annual report to the university community. University Communications

The Provost鈥檚 Advisory Committee on Mental Health (PACMH) has released its first annual report to the university community, highlighting Queen鈥檚 accomplishments and making recommendations for action over the next two years.

鈥淪tudent mental health remains a priority for Queen鈥檚 and we continue to work to create a campus community that fosters wellness and encourages help-seeking behaviour,鈥 says Daniel Woolf, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. 鈥淭he PACMH plays an important role in continuing the work of the Principal鈥檚 Commission on Mental Health.鈥

The PACMH was to oversee the implementation of recommendations of the (PCMH). Queen鈥檚 has already implemented many of the PCMH鈥檚 recommendations and other initiatives to promote mental health, including the launch of academic support programs like Q Success and Bounce Back, increased service capacity at Health, Counselling and Disability Services, and an Anti-Stigma Workshops in Residence program.

The 16 recommendations identified as priorities for assessment and action over the next two years include considering the establishment of a dedicated exam centre and distributing mental health referral information for faculty to share with students at the start of their classes.

The report also outlines . Queen鈥檚 was one of 32 Canadian post-secondary institutions that participated in the North American study. More than 90 per cent of Queen鈥檚 students surveyed said they felt 鈥渙verwhelmed by all they had to do鈥 at some point in the previous 12 months, and more than half said at some point they felt 鈥渢hings were hopeless.鈥

鈥淭he survey results are similar to the other Canadian institutions participating, and they underscore why promoting mental health remains vitally important,鈥 says Deputy Provost Laeeque Daneshmend, chair of the PACMH. 鈥淭he advisory committee will continue to work with its partners across campus to build a supportive and inclusive Queen鈥檚 community.鈥

The PCMH was established by Principal Woolf in September 2011 to assist the university in its ongoing efforts to be a proactive and responsive community that promotes every student鈥檚 success from the day they arrive through to graduation.

The full annual report of the PACMH is available on the .