A Descriptive Overview of Mental Health Services Offered in Post-Secondary Educational Institutions Across Canada

Abstract

Objective: Access to adequate mental health (MH) services is necessary for nearly half of Canadian youth (18–24 years) who enroll in post-secondary education given the relatively high risk of MH problems. Our objectives were to determine the status of MH services available to students in post-secondary institutions in Canada and to determine the extent to which these services are based on the principles of a high-quality youth MH (YMH) service. Method: Information on MH services was collected from websites of a representative sample (N = 67) of post-secondary institutions across all provinces. Data were analysed descriptively according to four categories (universities with a Faculty of Medicine (FoM) n = 18, other large universities n = 15, small universities n = 16, and colleges n = 18). Results: Most institutions provided 24-h crisis line support (84%) and indicated the availability of free counselling or psychotherapy (n = 62 of 67, 92.5%), while only a minority indicated provision of an initial clinical assessment (25%) and provision of multiple sessions of therapy (37%). Wait time for first contact was impressively low (<72 h) in the minority of institutions (40%) which provided this information. Access to either a prescribing physician or psychiatrist was infrequent, though several mentioned an unexplained model of “stepped care” and outside referrals. While relevant information was not uniformly easy to access, larger institutions both with and without a FoM appear to be better poised to provide MH services. None of the institutions appeared to follow all the principles of service delivery recommended for a high-quality YMH, with only two showing early identification activities. Conclusions: MH services in post-secondary institutions may need a transformation similar to YMH services, including a clear pathway to care, an initial clinical assessment, early identification of MHA disorders, and better utilization of institutional resources through greater collaboration and matching of timely interventions to the presenting problems.