Schools reach out for mental health

Canadian universities are reaching out to students to deal with end-of-semester stress.

In a report by the Globe and Mail, Canadian Mental Health Commission chairman David Goldbloom says there's been progress with how schools accommodate the mental health needs of their students.

He adds that the need for students - especially for freshmen - to stay competitive, is pressuring them, when they should be instead coping to university life.

McGill University's health clinic director Robert Franck cites an upsurge in clinic visits in 2012. He says it's the most stressful time of the year as they get 20 emergency drop-in visits daily.

Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario released a report with over a hundred recommendations to re-examine how they deal with mental health issues. This report was in wake of six student deaths in 2010 and 2011.

The University of Alberta is trailblazing initiatives to de-stigmatize mental health issues, such as a peer-outreach group and free yoga classes.

York University in Toronto organized a two-week mental health campaign by training student leaders to reach out to their peers within their field of expertise.

The University of Alberta’s Dr. Robin Everall  says we need to get mental health issues out of the closet and there’s no way it should be taboo.

STORY WRITTEN BY: SATURN DE LOS ANGELES