In the years following the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council’s November 2015 motion in support of a Fall Reading Week, McGill students are still pushing for its implementation. According to SSMU Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer, the administration abandoned the concept shortly after the proposal, citing the[Read More…]
Tag: mental health
McGill students need a Fall reading week to maintain mental health
Taking a break is beneficial and often necessary for maintaining mental health. A rising number of Canadian universities are acknowledging this in their academic calendars by implementing a Fall reading week. With strenuous midterms, shorter days, and overburdened on-campus support services, McGill students need a Fall break to improve their[Read More…]
Eating Disorder Program cutbacks reveal pre-existing flaws in the system
At the beginning of the Fall semester, McGill University Student Services quietly closed its Eating Disorder Program (EDP). Since 2009, the EDP has provided professional healthcare, support, and group therapy for students grappling with all forms of eating disorders. September’s reforms dispersed these services across existing counselling and psychiatric departments,[Read More…]
Accessible care or adequate care: Students with eating disorders shouldn’t have to choose
McGill’s Mental Health and Counselling Services face a twofold challenge: Make mental health care efficient and accessible to all students, while ensuring that care is appropriate to each student’s specific needs. Given limited resources, it is not an easy balance to strike. But it is, fundamentally, a balance—not an either-or[Read More…]
Exploring loneliness within McGill’s nooks and crannies
Fear has an infinite number of personalities. Often times, the cliché examples come to mind, like phobia of spiders, snakes, or the dark. But there are fears that often go undiscussed, like the fear of being alone. It is a fear of living in isolation, of being devoid of the[Read More…]
The bad news blues: Tackling news anxiety
In today’s political climate, it seems important new stories break every day. It is also without much surprise that people are now more worried than ever by the frequent reports. As noted by story editor Nitsuh Abebe in April in The New York Times, the past year has seen the[Read More…]
McGill Students’ Mental Health Working Group publishes open letter
On March 31, the McGill Students’ Mental Health Working Group released an open letter addressed to Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens, expressing concerns about the recent restructuring of McGill Counselling and Mental Health Services (MCMHS). Counselling and Mental Health Services were separate units until they were combined[Read More…]
Explaining tocophobia
Everyone is afraid of something, or at least that’s what we’re told. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 8.7 per cent of the adult population suffers from a phobia, or a “marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.” The good[Read More…]
Ask Ainsley: I just had my first panic attack. What do I do?
Dear Ainsley, I just had my first panic attack after finding out that I’d failed a test, and it really scared me. What do I do to keep this from happening in the future? What resources are available to me? Sincerely, Perplexed About my Panic Attack (PAPA) Dear PAPA, First[Read More…]
EUS Wellness Survey sheds light on mental health in Faculty of Engineering
On Feb. 23, the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) released the results of a wellness survey of its members that was conducted in November 2016. To address the findings, EUS hosted an open forum on March 9. According to EUS President Jean-Louis Shi, the results signal a need for change in[Read More…]
