Margie McKinnon, Director of Health, Counselling and Accessible Learning says university officials received $20, 000 from a national community fund; it’ll be used for their mental health first-aid program.
She says they’ll be able to expand it, get another facilitator, purchase materials and offer a mental health first-aid First Nations course.
McKinnon tells The Hawk it’s a stressful time for students.
“During the young adult period, that’s the time in life when a lot of mental health problems first emerge,” she says. “We expect to see increasing rates of mental health problems in young people who are in university.”
McKinnon says younger people are also very well-educated around mental health problems now, so more are seeking support.