Mental health will drive you mad
By Paul Breschuk
Feature Writer
October 7, 2009
 The realities of mental disorders have long been swept under the rug of social consciousness. What’s left in its place are the old fears and misconceptions that are mindlessly perpetuated year after year.
This is not a surprising outcome when an influential source of mental health education has been historically provided by the entertainment industry. In books and on film, fantastical exaggerations are commonplace. Mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder have become narrative devices promising juicier storylines and higher ratings. In the real world, mental disorders are far less exciting.
Recent efforts partly stemming from the political correctness movement, aim to supply the public with accurate portrayals of mental illness. With this education, mental health agencies promote an understanding and acceptance of a topic that has generated an alarming amount of unwarranted apprehension and bigotry.
Attempts have been made to shed light on issues that have previously been held in the dark. Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), which began in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatrist Association, is one of such attempts.
UWindsor’s Student Health Services (SHS) seeks to both heighten mental health awareness as well as make their services more accessible to students. They are hosting Mental Health Checkup Day on Oct. 21 where students can register for a free and private psychological screening with a professional counselor.
Dr. Maria Blass, physician and director of SHS, explains that there is still a “significant societal stigma as well as personal denial associated with having a mental health diagnosis. So students don't seek help or, at least, not in a timely manner.”
By facilitating an easy first-contact with mental health specialists, SHS hopes to screen students who would normally overlook such services. The checkup is also a great way to reach people who suffer in silence, thinking that their difficulties are normal. Blass explains how if problems go untreated long enough, the sufferer loses perspective. The screening is an excellent way for one to regain perspective and begin their journey to recovery.
Free screenings aside, SHS is still a busy establishment. Compared to the provincial average for a family physician in the community, government statistics of Blass’ billing records show that mental health related issues are five times higher at the university.
Through discussions with doctors from other universities, Blass concludes that her findings are not unique to Windsor. It is no surprise, however, that mental illnesses are common on university campuses as they “usually surface around the late teens and early twenties. This is made worse by the stresses of major changes brought on by university life,” Blass explained.
School related stress
Blass states the problems most commonly experienced by students are anxiety related to exams and academic performance, personal relationship trouble, financial difficulties, and uncertainties about chosen career paths.
Obviously, school related stress is the predominant concern for a university student. Though, each person experiences it differently with some using it as motivation for hard work while others feel overwhelmed and helpless.
Those who cannot sufficiently cope with the stress of academic life are subject to anxiety disorders and depression, which may lead to suicide. It is this group of people that SHS wants most to reach out to through programs such as Mental Health Checkup Day.
“Stress is a very individual experience,” said Blass. “It is important that one learns to manage stress, to be mindful and recognize the situations that are likely to cause it. Stress may always be there, but what matters is what we do with it. That is where coping and resilience come in.”
Blass maintains that coping strategies can be improved through the counseling and talk therapy offered through SHS.
She encourages students to take the initial step toward recovery by both acknowledging and speaking out about their problems.
In the community
It should not be forgotten that MIAW applies to the community at large. One major issue of recent concern to mental health agencies is the health status of the homeless population. Studies such as Toronto’s Pathways Project found that two thirds of the homeless have a lifetime diagnosis of mental illness. This statistic is two to three times higher than that of the general population.
Another recent issue that can be observed in Windsor concerns the recession’s impact on the mental health of workers and their families. Louise Bradley, chief operating officer of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, claims that the economic recession has spurred on a “social recession.”
In a 2009 social policy conference held in Kingston, Ont., she warned of the emotional consequences of Windsor’s skyrocketing unemployment rate, saying that, “last year alone, demand for mental health services jumped 50 per cent. There is anecdotal evidence that this increase has continued unabated as the local economy continues to suffer.”
Bradley also contends that job losses cause a domino effect, filtering anxiety throughout the family, which ultimately affects children. “Children worry and take on grown up problems. Windsor Regional Children’s Centre has seen an influx of kids with no previous mental health problems who are suddenly experiencing severe anxiety, depression or acting out.”
So, what can be done about this seemingly endless cycle? Beth Lyster, Mental Health Promoter at the Windsor branch of the CMHA, states that in order cope successfully with job loss, people must properly recognize and support their own mental health.
“Transition is helped or hindered by your vision and perception of yourself and your future,” says Lyster. “Our ability to move forward and not get stuck relies on our level of mental health. Of particular importance is our capacity to deal with the emotions involved and our ability to rebound from setbacks.”
With current employment woes, coupled with the approach of winter and its threat of seasonal depression, Windsorites are urged to remain particularly aware of their mental health levels.
On Oct. 6, SHS holds their fourth annual Student Health Forum at 7 p.m. in the Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall. This event is hosted by a panel of four health specialists including a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist.
SHS also hosts Mental Health Checkup Day on Oct. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the CAW Student Centre.
For those who cannot attend the Mental Health Checkup Day, a free screening can be obtained online at www.checkupfromtheneckup.ca.
Additional information
The initial effects of school related stress are increased heart rate, rapid breathing, light-headedness, increased perspiration, sweaty palms, and indigestion. Continued stress may lead to feelings of fatigue, exhaustion, frequent colds, anxiety, memory difficulties, and increased use of stimulants. Ongoing stress can lead to poor sleep, errors in judgment, personality changes, and mental illness.
Strategies to combat stress include regular exercise, meditation, breathing techniques, finding new hobbies, and getting adequate sleep.
Student Counseling Centre,
Room 293, CAW Student Centre,
(519) 253-3000 ext 4616
Student Health Services
Room 242, CAWSC
(519) 973-7002 or 253-3000 ext 7002
CMHA Windsor-Essex County Branch (Downtown)
1400 Windsor Avenue
(519) 255-7440
Community Crisis Centre of Windsor-Essex County
(519) 973-4435
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