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Christmas time is difficult for those who are suffering from any kind of depression. It seems to bring out the loneliness, and struggles many are facing including the debt, and hopelessness. Perhaps despite the great success of this native girl who just took her life, her past and struggles have taken over a very vulnerable part of her. At first the news media reported her as just having died, and today they had a documentary of her life and struggles, and acknowledged her death was due to suicide. She was a shining light in her culture, so many have looked up to her. I pray that her followers will not copy her deed.
Tomorrow I will be babysitting my six month old grand-daughter while her parents will be reflecting and setting future goals for themselves. Apparently, restaurants will not take reservations tomorrow, New Years Eve. I gladly look after my little grandbaby, and forefeit any other activity. My daughter and husband will be going out for dinner in their traditional setting ways.
I do hope you all have a stress free year.. I'm sure it will be difficult, but with the right attitude, and God on our side, we will be Overcomers. Revelations 12;5.. Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world. So Be strong and of good courage, and be Blessed this New Year 2020. Please Pray for the firefighters in Australia and all the residents, and wildlife. It is a catastrophe!!
This dear girl took her life. I heard on the news that her father also died by suicide. Her activism was to give young people hope. What a sad day for her family, friends and colleagues.
Ten of 12 recorded deaths by Roaccutane users in 2019 were suicide.
Photograph: BSIP/UIG/Getty Images/Universal Images Group
Ten suicides this year have been linked to a powerful acne drug as
the medicines regulator reopens an inquiry into it after being contacted
by patients.
Twelve deaths were recorded in 2019, 10 by suicide, by people who had
been prescribed Roaccutane, according to data from the Medicines and
Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The figure is up from five fatalities the year before and is the
highest since records began in 1983. However, the MHRA noted that the
reaction may not have occurred that year but only been reported then.
This year, Channel 4 reported about the death of Annabel Wright, with her parents Helen and Simon blaming the drug for her death, although the exact cause is yet to be confirmed.
Advertisement
In
2017, the parents of Luke Reeves said they believed their son’s death
was linked to Roaccutane. A coroner ruled that Luke, who was found dead
in his bedroom, killed himself by taking a drugs overdose in April 2017.
Robert Reeves, 50, told the hearing at Essex coroner’s court that Luke’s personality had completely changed.
In October 2012, Jack Bowlby took his life, aged 16. His parents
expressed the same concerns as those of Luke Reeves. At the coroner’s
inquest, one expert speculated that Jack would still be alive if he had
not taken the drug.
Roaccutane, a brand name of the drug isotretinoin, is used by about
30,000 people in the UK each year. Data from NHS Digital shows
prescriptions for isotretinoin rose from 34,283 to 69,040 between 2008
and 2018.
Also manufactured under the name Accutane, the drug is often credited
with yielding miraculous results at clearing people’s skin.
While studies have not found a clear or direct link with increased
risk of psychiatric disorders and suicide, side-effects have been noted.
Data from the MHRA’s yellow card reporting scheme – a website for
reporting adverse drug reactions – recorded 12 fatalities in 2019, 85
serious incidents and 19 non-serious ones. Since records began there
have been 88 deaths.
“We were never told that these random suicide impulses can come out of the blue and be overwhelming,” Helen Wright said.
In 1998, warnings about depression and other psychiatric side-effects
were added to the drug’s patient information leaflet. In section four
it states that “some people have had thoughts about hurting themselves
or ending their own lives (suicidal thoughts), have tried to end their
own lives (attempted suicide), or have ended their lives (suicide).
These people may not appear to be depressed.”
Two years ago, a new warning was added to say some people would be
affected by problems getting or maintaining an erection and by lower
libido.
The MHRA governs the safety of the drug. It said its reporting system
was “not proof of a side-effect occurring, but a suspicion by the
reporter that the drug may have been the cause”.
It said the safety of isotretinoin was kept under continuous review
in the UK and across Europe. The Isotretinoin Expert Working Group is
being reconvened and will consider all of the available data regarding
the risk of suicide, considering whether further regulatory action is
needed.
The National Institute for Health
and Care Excellence (Nice) plans to publish guidance on all acne
treatments by 2021 and said it always considers the safety of drugs in
its guidelines.
In its guidance about the options available for acne treatment, the NHS says the drug is only recommended for severe cases that have not responded to other treatments.
The NHS acknowledges there have been reports of people experiencing
mood changes while taking the drug. Its advice says, while there is no
evidence these changes were caused by Roaccutane, patients should speak
to their doctor immediately if they feel depressed, anxious or have
suicidal thoughts.
A survivors’ group linked to the drug and its side-effects on Facebook has more than 8,000 members.
In 2004, the Guardian reported that a promising medical student
killed himself four weeks after being prescribed the acne drug. Jon
Medland, 22, was in the final year of his medical degree at Manchester
University when he killed himself at his student lodgings early on 13 January this year.
Roche said millions of patients take isotretinoin, but “like most medications, it can have side-effects”.
“That is why we recommend it is prescribed carefully, with particular
consideration regarding any previous history of depression, that
patients understand what to expect when they take it and that they are
monitored closely to ensure they get the care they need.” In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other
international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.
Ten of 12 recorded deaths by Roaccutane users in 2019 were suicide.
Photograph: BSIP/UIG/Getty Images/Universal Images Group
Ten suicides this year have been linked to a powerful acne drug as
the medicines regulator reopens an inquiry into it after being contacted
by patients.
Twelve deaths were recorded in 2019, 10 by suicide, by people who had
been prescribed Roaccutane, according to data from the Medicines and
Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The figure is up from five fatalities the year before and is the
highest since records began in 1983. However, the MHRA noted that the
reaction may not have occurred that year but only been reported then.
This year, Channel 4 reported about the death of Annabel Wright, with her parents Helen and Simon blaming the drug for her death, although the exact cause is yet to be confirmed.
Advertisement
In
2017, the parents of Luke Reeves said they believed their son’s death
was linked to Roaccutane. A coroner ruled that Luke, who was found dead
in his bedroom, killed himself by taking a drugs overdose in April 2017.
Robert Reeves, 50, told the hearing at Essex coroner’s court that Luke’s personality had completely changed.
In October 2012, Jack Bowlby took his life, aged 16. His parents
expressed the same concerns as those of Luke Reeves. At the coroner’s
inquest, one expert speculated that Jack would still be alive if he had
not taken the drug.
Roaccutane, a brand name of the drug isotretinoin, is used by about
30,000 people in the UK each year. Data from NHS Digital shows
prescriptions for isotretinoin rose from 34,283 to 69,040 between 2008
and 2018.
Also manufactured under the name Accutane, the drug is often credited
with yielding miraculous results at clearing people’s skin.
While studies have not found a clear or direct link with increased
risk of psychiatric disorders and suicide, side-effects have been noted.
Data from the MHRA’s yellow card reporting scheme – a website for
reporting adverse drug reactions – recorded 12 fatalities in 2019, 85
serious incidents and 19 non-serious ones. Since records began there
have been 88 deaths.
“We were never told that these random suicide impulses can come out of the blue and be overwhelming,” Helen Wright said.
In 1998, warnings about depression and other psychiatric side-effects
were added to the drug’s patient information leaflet. In section four
it states that “some people have had thoughts about hurting themselves
or ending their own lives (suicidal thoughts), have tried to end their
own lives (attempted suicide), or have ended their lives (suicide).
These people may not appear to be depressed.”
Two years ago, a new warning was added to say some people would be
affected by problems getting or maintaining an erection and by lower
libido.
The MHRA governs the safety of the drug. It said its reporting system
was “not proof of a side-effect occurring, but a suspicion by the
reporter that the drug may have been the cause”.
It said the safety of isotretinoin was kept under continuous review
in the UK and across Europe. The Isotretinoin Expert Working Group is
being reconvened and will consider all of the available data regarding
the risk of suicide, considering whether further regulatory action is
needed.
The National Institute for Health
and Care Excellence (Nice) plans to publish guidance on all acne
treatments by 2021 and said it always considers the safety of drugs in
its guidelines.
In its guidance about the options available for acne treatment, the NHS says the drug is only recommended for severe cases that have not responded to other treatments.
The NHS acknowledges there have been reports of people experiencing
mood changes while taking the drug. Its advice says, while there is no
evidence these changes were caused by Roaccutane, patients should speak
to their doctor immediately if they feel depressed, anxious or have
suicidal thoughts.
A survivors’ group linked to the drug and its side-effects on Facebook has more than 8,000 members.
In 2004, the Guardian reported that a promising medical student
killed himself four weeks after being prescribed the acne drug. Jon
Medland, 22, was in the final year of his medical degree at Manchester
University when he killed himself at his student lodgings early on 13 January this year.
Roche said millions of patients take isotretinoin, but “like most medications, it can have side-effects”.
“That is why we recommend it is prescribed carefully, with particular
consideration regarding any previous history of depression, that
patients understand what to expect when they take it and that they are
monitored closely to ensure they get the care they need.” In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other
international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.
Suicide. It’s a difficult topic to bring
up. However, when someone talks about suicide or brings up concern for a
loved one, it’s important to take action and seek help quickly.
Experts in the field suggest that a suicidal person
is feeling so much pain that they can see no other option. They feel
that they are a burden to others, and in desperation see death as a way
to escape their overwhelming pain and anguish. The suicidal state of
mind has been described as constricted, filled with a sense of
self-hatred, rejection, and hopelessness.
In this section, you will find information and resources to aid in the understanding and prevention of suicide.
What is suicide?
Suicide means that someone ends their life on purpose. However,
people who die by suicide or attempt suicide may not really want to end
their life. Suicide may seem like the only way to deal with difficult
feelings or situations.
Who does it affect?
About 4000 Canadians die by suicide every year. Suicide is the
second-most common cause of death among young people, but men in their
40s and 50s have the highest rate of suicide. While women are three to
four times more likely to attempt suicide than men, men are three times
more likely to die by suicide than women.
Suicide is a complicated issue. People who die by suicide or attempt
suicide usually feel overwhelmed, hopeless, helpless, desperate, and
alone. In some rare cases, people who experience psychosis (losing touch
with reality) may hear voices that tell them to end their life.
Many different situations and experiences can lead someone to consider suicide. Known risk factors for suicide include:
A previous suicide attempt
Family history of suicidal behaviour
A serious physical or mental illness
Problems with drugs or alcohol
A major loss, such as the death of a loved one, unemployment, or divorce
Major life changes or transitions, like those experienced by teenagers and seniors
Social isolation or lack of a support network
Family violence
Access to the means of suicide
While we often think of suicide in relation to depression, anxiety,
and substance use problems, any mental illness may increase the risk of
suicide. It’s also important to remember that suicide may not be related
to any mental illness.
What are the warning signs?
Major warning signs of suicide spell IS PATH WARM:
I—Ideation: thinking about suicide
S—Substance use: problems with drugs or alcohol
P—Purposelessness: feeling like there is no purpose in life or reason for living
A—Anxiety: feeling intense anxiety or feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope
T—Trapped: feeling trapped or feeling like there is no way out of a situation
H—Hopelessness or Helplessness: feeling no hope for the future, feeling like things will never get better
W—Withdrawal: avoiding family, friends, or activities
A—Anger: feeling unreasonable anger
R—Recklessness: engaging in risky or harmful activities normally avoided
M—Mood change: a significant change in mood
How can I reduce the risk of suicide?
Though not all suicides can be prevented, some strategies can help
reduce the risk. All of these factors are linked to well-being. These
strategies include:
Seeking treatment, care and support for mental health concerns—and
building a good relationship with a doctor or other health professionals
Building social support networks, such as family, friends, a peer
support or support group, or connections with a cultural or faith
community
Learning good coping skills to deal with problems, and trusting in coping abilities
When a person receives treatment for a mental illness, it can still
take time for thoughts of suicide to become manageable and stop. Good
treatment is very important, but it may not immediately eliminate the
risk of suicide. It’s important to stay connected with a care team,
monitor for thoughts of suicide, and seek extra help if it’s needed.
Community-based programs that help people manage stress or other daily
challenges can also be very helpful.
What can I do if I experience thoughts of suicide?
Thoughts of suicide are distressing. It’s important to talk about your
experiences with your doctor, mental health care team, or any other
person you trust. They can help you learn skills to cope and connect you
to useful groups or resources. Some people find it helpful to schedule
frequent appointments with care providers or request phone support.
Other things that you can do include:
Calling a crisis telephone support line
Connecting with family, friends, or a support group. It can be
helpful to talk with others who have experienced thoughts of suicide to
learn about their coping strategies
If you’re in crisis and aren’t sure what to do, you can always call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency room.
Some people find a safety plan useful. A safety plan is a list of
personal strategies to use if you think you are at risk of hurting or
ending your life. You can create a plan on your own, with a loved one,
or with your mental health care team. Your plan may include:
Activities that calm you or take your mind off your thoughts
Your own reasons for living
Key people to call if you’re worried about your safety
Phone numbers for local crisis or suicide prevention helplines
A list of safe places to go if you don’t feel safe at home
How can I help a loved one?
If you’re concerned about someone else, talk with them. Ask them
directly if they’re thinking about suicide. Talking about suicide won’t
give them the idea. If someone is seriously considering suicide, they
may be relieved that they can talk about it.
If someone you love says that they’re thinking about ending their
life, it’s important to ask them if they have a plan. If they have a
plan and intend to end their life soon, connect with crisis services or
supports right away. Many areas have a crisis, distress, or suicide
helpline, but you can always call 9-1-1 if you don’t know who to call.
Stay with your loved one while you make the call, and don’t leave until
the crisis line or emergency responders say you can leave.
The two most important things you can do are listen and help them connect with mental health services. Listening
Here are tips for talking with a loved one:
Find a private place and let your loved one take as much time as they need.
Take your loved one seriously and listen without judgement—their feelings are very real.
Keep your word—don’t make promise you can’t keep or don’t intend to keep.
Tell your loved one that they are important and that you care about them.
Supports
If your loved one already sees a doctor or other mental health service
provider, it’s important that they tell their service provider about any
thoughts of suicide they may have been having. Depending on your
relationship, you can offer to help—by helping your loved one schedule
appointments or by taking them to their appointments, for example.
If your loved one doesn’t see a mental health service provider, you
can give them the phone number for a local crisis line and encourage
them to see their doctor. Your loved one may also be able to access
services through their school, workplace, cultural or faith community.
Supporting a loved one can be a difficult experience for anyone, so
it’s important to take care of your own mental health during this time
and seek support if you need it.
Is someone you know thinking of suicide?
If you are concerned that someone you know may be thinking of
suicide, you can help. Remember, as a helper, do not promise to do
anything you do not want to do or that you cannot do. First of all, if
the person is actively suicidal, get help immediately. Call your local
crisis service or the police, or take the person to the emergency room
of your local hospital. Do not leave the person alone. If the person has
attempted suicide and needs medical attention, call 9-1-1 or your local
emergency services number.
Are you feeling suicidal?
If you are feeling suicidal, please contact your local crisis line
or counselling centre. The information that follows is not a substitute
for professional counselling. It is strongly recommended that you seek
guidance from a professional caregiver.
There are several ways to find assistance:
Check your phone directory for the listing of your local crisis centre.
You have made the right choice to look for help. We hope you will contact someone right away.
Do you need more help?
Contact a community organization like the Canadian Mental Health
Association to learn more about support and resources in your area.
Founded in 1918, The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is a
national charity that helps maintain and improve mental health for all
Canadians. As the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health,
CMHA helps people access the community resources they need to build
resilience and support recovery from mental illness.
After a busy Christmas, we are staying put and avoiding the shopping malls. This was the first year when adult children organized their own celebrations on the days that best fitted into their schedule. We were together, and hope to be together again on Sunday to celebrate my oldest 31st birthday. She is expecting a little boy in April, and we are so excited. Foremost they have to look for a larger apartment with their 2 cats, and baby on the way. Rent is very expensive here so we are praying for a very nice place for them to begin their lives. Here is a family picture of my 6 month old Grand-daughter. She is a sweetheart and so smart. In six months her mommy will be going back to work so life will change again. I am waiting for hip surgery, so hopefully, I will be all healed and recovered from this operation.. God Bless you All, and please take care of your mental health and call someone to see how they are 'really doing"..
A Summer Kodak moment in Stanley Park many years ago. Please Pray for the fire fighter in Australia. Please Pray for the weather to change. Please Pray for the families of the firefighters.
Here we are just a few days before Christmas. I am sure you are mostly busy, yet reflective. I was at the graveside yesterday, and took a bouquet of Christmas flowers and cuttings given to me by my daughter Erica. I decided to put it on her sisters graveyard. This happened after I had a nice luncheon with the suicide support walking group ladies. It was good to see the facilitator there and all the moms and spouses who have lost loved ones to suicide. I was late getting there, but had a box of shortbread cookies in my hands to share with them. Fish and chips hit the spot. Afterwards a lady ddrove me home and I showed her my new place. She had a few minutes to look around my downsized townhouse close to her abode. I still had no curtains up; after two months. I tend to look at the unfinished, even as I look at my life I am unfinished, still needing finishing. I trust God will do the work and make me into that diamond he wants me to be. Later, at the funeral home I placed two small paper ornaments on the mega tree in the hallway. The tree was full of names of loved ones who have all gone before us. I wrote Deborah on my card, I wrote it will be our sixth Christmas without you!! We love you. How is it possible, that this will be the sixth Christmas without her?? She died in August of 2014.
The sorrow still grips my heart. As I prepare the turkey dinner for the rest of the family, I will think on how it could have been with her here as well. She liked to help out. I'm sure she'd be mixing and tasting the mashed potatoes, and setting the table. I will keep glancing at her photo on our fridge. My pain in my hip that needs surgery will take away my focus of my grief hour by hour, and the fact that one daughter is with her boyfriends family far away will also fill a void. However, we must make the best of it all. I will try to go along with the flow and remember the Reason for the Season is our Lord coming in the flesh to dwell among men; us little ants. I think if we take our focus off of ourselves we will be alright to a working degree. I almost forgot the second paper ornament I hung on the tree was that of a friends name who left us at age 60 very suddenly. We do have an army of loved ones waiting for us on the other side. Be kind to one another and look up for our redemption is near. I love you all. Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Years to you and yours.
What an incredible job truckers do all year round, was what we were reminded of during this parade we saw from our hotel. Our grocery stores would sit empty, and our city workers could not do their jobs. Thank you for all you do! I hope you all get raises in the New Year!
Hello All, We just set up our new lap top computer. This was a must purchase since the screen has been on the verge of falling off despite attempts to repair it. As you know change is never easy for a soon to be 60 year old, and at one time we even lost the charging plug for it.
So now the computer is set, we are mostly settled into our small 2 bedroom place and the storage unit is almost empty. We can only give God praise for this since as my nurse daughter said, could we imagine doing this 10 years into our lifespan?? NO, No , No..
Regretfully, I have missed almost every event at Valleyview for Christmas with this busy month. The family just came back from a 4 day stay in Victoria, the Island. My son-in-law had a business workshop at the Fairmont Hotel, and we as grandparents got to tag along and help with the baby! For me and my husband this was a trip of our lifetime as of recent years, despite it being only an hour and a half by Ferry from the Mainland. We celebrated his 55th birthday there, and enjoyed the whirlpool at the hotel. We took more pictures than ever under the many lighted trees. The weather was mild and we saw a truckers parade go right by the hotel. Cassidy my grand daughter saw it from her hotel window as a six month old. Life is charming once again. Her dimples are a sweet reminder of my daughter Deborah in Heaven. Turning sixty this coming year is just a reminder that re uniting with loved ones on the other side is not just a hope but soon a reality. I will post many pictures of our working vacation for you. I would have wanted it no other way. Her sweet business, figuring out how her hands work, her teething drool's, her cheeks next to mine are all wonderful displays that we are still needed, and loved. I hope that the holidays brings everyone a moment of miracle that is tangible to you and your loved ones. We know that Jesus of course was born on the Feast of Tabernacles in minus 2 BC in the fall when the Shepherds were out around Sept 11th. I will share of my visit with Stephen Steinman on the Island as well, who studies scriptures night and day. Look expectantly for His return. Hebrews 9:28
My little grand-daughter has the sweet dimples of her aunt who is now in Heaven. Heaven is full of little children. We must be like them in order to get to Heaven Jesus said
Nearly 400 children rescued and 348 adults arrested in Canadian child pornography bust
Toronto
Police Service Detective Constable Lisa Belanger (L) and Inspector
Joanna Beaven-Desjardins of the Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes Unit
(R) announce hundreds of arrests in a global child exploitation
investigation Project Spade on Nov. 14. at a press conference at Toronto
Police Headquarters.Toronto Police via EPA
By Daniella Silva, NBC News
Nearly
400 children have been rescued and 348 adults arrested following an
expansive and “extraordinary” international child pornography
investigation, Canadian police announced Thursday.
The
three-year project, named Project Spade, began when undercover officers
with the Toronto Police Service Child Exploitation service made contact
with a Toronto man allegedly sharing “very graphic images” of child
sexual abuse in Oct. 2010, Toronto Police Service Chief William Blair
said at a press conference on Thursday.
Police
said their investigation revealed an entire child movie production and
distribution company in Toronto operating via the web site
azovfilms.com.
The site was run by 42-year
old Brian Way, according to police, and sold and distributed images of
child exploitation to people across the world.
Inspector
Joanna Beaven-Desjardins, head of Toronto’s Sex Crimes Unit, said they
enlisted the help of the United States Postal Inspection Service since
many of the videos were being exported to the U.S. and began a joint
investigation.
After a seven-month long
investigation, officers executed search warrants across the city of
Toronto including at the business, located in the city’s West End.
Investigators
catalogued hundreds of thousands of images and videos of “horrific
sexual acts against very young children, some of the worst they have
ever viewed,” Inspector Beaven-Desjardins said at the press conference.
Police
seized over 45 terabytes of data from the $4-million business that
distributed to over 50 counties including Australia, Spain, Mexico,
Sweden and Greece.
As a result of the
investigation thus far, 50 people were arrested in Ontario, 58 in the
rest of Canada, 76 in the United States, and 164 internationally.
What
was most alarming, Inspector Beaven-Desjardins said, was that many of
the arrests were of people who worked with or closely interacted with
children.
Among
those arrested were 40 school teachers, nine doctors and nurses, six
law enforcement personnel, nine pastors and priests and three foster
parents, she said.
Citing a particularly
egregious example, she said police found over 350,000 images and over
9,000 videos of child sexual abuse in the home of a retired Canadian
school teacher. Some of the images were of children known to the man and
he was also charged with sexually abusing a child relative.
The
inspector said an indispensable aspect to the success of the operation
and the rescue of 386 children from child exploitation was the expansive
cooperation between Toronto police and organizations worldwide.
“[This]
confirms that when we work together regardless of the borders that
divide us we can successfully take down those who not only prey on our
most vulnerable but also profit from it,” she said.
Police said the children were "rescued from child exploitation" but did not give more details.
Way was charged with 24 counts, including possession of, distribution of, and importing and exporting child pornography.
The investigation is ongoing and more arrests could be made, police said.
Hello Everyone, How chilly is it where you live? We are a balmy plus 5 Celcius in the day, here on the West Coast of British Columbia, but we have had fog and frost some mornings. I am feeding the wild birds with millet in order to fatten them up for winter. We have tiny hummingbirds feeding from the sugary sap that my neighbours have hanging. It is exciting to be in our little townhome. Each day it is taking shape, and I even have some Christmas reefs and snowmen, and two small trees to ornate our living room. Everything is downsized this year. I am tucked in bed today, and was thankful to have found the previous post video on the challenges of mental health on university campuses. I hope you find the time to share this info with your circle of contacts.
As a friend of over 30 years paid us a visit yesterday he was telling us of all the parents who choose to not diagnose their children with mental health issues, so they do not have the label/stigma attached with them. Thus, they don't get the help they need in school he said. I agree, one should never be hasty in passing a label to their child, but one cannot turn a blind eye to the issue of mental health. God Bless you all, and participate in self care, for you are loved and needed very much.
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Is there a mental health crisis on Canadian university campuses?
2 days agoNews
12:09
Recent suicides on
Canadian university campuses have sparked an outcry from students for
better mental health services. Student mental health experts discuss
some of the reasons behind the spike in the number of students seeking
help, and why so many of them have a hard time getting it. 12:09
Julia
Burnham, a fourth-year student at the University of British Columbia,
has been diagnosed with PTSD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder
and major depressive disorder. She’s spent about $2,500 seeking help
since her first year.
Jackie Dives/The Globe and Mail
Julia
Burnham knows the symptoms well: a simple stop in a busy coffee shop or
crowded bus ride can prompt the sudden, frantic feeling that she can’t
get enough air. For years, she has suffered from full-body anxiety
attacks that can leave her sobbing in a workplace bathroom, or urgently
seeking the safety of her bedroom. A numbing depression follows, which
can keep her housebound for a day or two.
The
fourth-year university student may seem like a perfect candidate for
school counselling services – the kind that postsecondary institutions
have been offering for more than 60 years. But in fact, with her
multiple diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder,
social anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, Ms. Burnham is
exactly the kind of student that many universities now try to refer to
resources outside of their counselling centres.
For
the past three years, Ms. Burnham has been paying $120 a visit to an
external Vancouver psychologist – rather than relying on services
University of British Columbia students can access without charge.
(Counselling services can be funded in part by annual student fees.)
The
number of young people seeking mental-health help, in Canada and
worldwide, has been rising for years, and the phenomenon is stretching
school resources. Under the strain of appointment gridlock, student
criticism and, in some dire cases, suicides on campus, postsecondary
institutions are rethinking their strategies to handle the mounting
need. At UBC, that has meant a new-found focus on referrals. By taking
students with more enduring needs out of internal counselling, the
thinking goes, more students can be seen by the school team, and those
who require more complex support will get the help they need.
The
strategy is getting the university its intended results: Data out of
UBC showed a drastic shift last year, bucking upward trends of other
large schools such as the University of Toronto and Queen’s University.
The number of students in UBC counselling, as well as total
appointments, dropped for the first time in at least seven years – by
542 students (or 13 per cent) and 906 sessions (or 7 per cent.) Dr.
Cheryl Washburn, who directs UBC’s counselling services, says the drop
is “directly tied” to the increase in options outside their centre,
including more access points for services, online programs and resources
in the wider community.
The
numbers at counselling services tell a success story, but the
experience of some students show there is a hidden cost. The increased
demand on mental-health resources is not contained to just universities.
The health-care sector is also feeling the squeeze, meaning public
health practitioners are backed up, too. “Demand for care continues to
exceed the supply of clinically active psychiatrists,” says Mathieu
Dufour, co-chair of the Coalition of Ontario Psychiatrists. Some
students seeking help off-campus, including from external psychiatrists,
have been referred back to their university campuses for care.
For
students who are able to pay out of pocket, options expand to include
psychologists or psychotherapists – but with a going rate of more than
$100 an hour, and sparse coverage under student health-care plans, these
services are only accessible to economically advantaged students.
“I
was really fortunate that I was able to afford the luxury,” Ms. Burnham
reflected, pointing out that she’d also paid less than most patients,
as her psychologist offered students pricing on a sliding scale. All
told, offset marginally by a $300 allowance from her student
health-insurance plan but mostly shouldered by supportive parents, she’s
spent approximately $2,500 seeking help since her first year.
Unlike
other students with continuing needs, Ms. Burnham wasn’t referred to
her psychologist by UBC counsellors – she sought one out directly, in an
effort to avoid long waits and repeated recitations of her history with
mental illness, only to be referred to an external resource anyway.
“I
don’t have the emotional energy to go through another process and
re-explain everything to these people that may or may not actually help
me in the end,” she said.
On
Julia Burnham's windowsill, a decoration reads: 'She's got house plants
to keep her company.' In a glass jar, she has a collection of her empty
medication bottles. On the inside of her apartment door, a memo reads:
'Just go to class.'
Jackie Dives/The Globe and Mail
Counselling
services in universities originated around the end of the Second World
War, when veterans returning to campuses required specific educational
and vocational supports. Decades later, the purpose of the centres is to
address more broadly students’ mental-health needs. The increased
demand for mental-health support on campuses can be attributed to a
miscellany of factors, from changes in parenting styles to decreased
stigma and increased awareness of students’ mental health. Some experts
point out that increased technology use can be tied to changes in brain
development and modified sleep patterns; some believe young people today
are less adept at emotional self-regulation than past generations,
feeling pressure to succeed, but lacking the proper mechanisms to cope
with failure.
Cross-country data
compiled by The Globe and Mail give a glimpse of the mounting pressure
in university counselling offices. At the University of Toronto, a rise
in appointments has vastly outpaced the rise of the overall student
population. Its population went up 8 per cent from 2012 to 2017; in the
same time frame, appointments rose approximately 40 per cent. Prior to
last year’s drop, UBC’s counselling appointments had risen constantly
for six years, up 89 per cent from 2010-11. The number of students being
seen increased by 74 per cent in the same span.
Dalhousie
University in Halifax moved to a new service model for health care in
2017, meaning they’re creating new metrics and a new baseline for
tracking purposes. But data released by the university in 2015 showed a
five-year increase in counselling demand, up by a total of 68 per cent.
“And it’s not slowing down,” they wrote, noting that of the 1,248
students seen for initial consultations in 2013-14, 763 were put on a
wait list averaging 20 days in length. Mental-health appointments at
Queen’s University in Kingston have increased by 73 per cent in the past
five years, far outpacing the school’s 13 per cent enrolment increase
over the same time period. And at McMaster University, in Hamilton, the
counselling service logged more than 11,000 visits last year – 40 per
cent more than they documented in the 2012-13 school year.
The
escalating demand has forced postsecondary institutions to consider
anew what lies within their scope. “Colleges and universities are not
treatment centres,” declares a joint action plan, In It Together,
released by four Ontario postsecondary groups in 2017. Schools’ core
mandate is higher education, and they would stand with their students,
they said, but couldn’t meet the challenge of mental-health demand
alone. The report claimed that acute and long-term mental-health support
falls within the mandate of health-care providers and community
agencies. They cited the pressure schools are under, and appealed for a
distinction to be drawn between their “triage role” and the actual
administering of long-term or acute care.
At
McMaster, dean of students Sean Van Koughnett says they’d have lineups
out the door if their counselling staff tried to handle all the cases
that required continuing treatment. They were lucky, he explained – they
had resources nearby, such as St. Joseph’s Healthcare. The hospital is
strapped by demand itself, but he believes they’re still
better-positioned to handle complex cases.
“The
demand became such that it just wasn’t something that we should try to
continue to manage, or could manage,” he told The Globe in an interview.
They’ve tried, hiring four full-time counsellors and one part-time
counsellor in the past two years with funds from both increased student
fees and the previous Ontario government. A new wellness centre is set
to open within the next year, because even if he had access to more
funds, Mr. Van Koughnett says he just doesn’t have the space to put more
staff right now. Their increased appointments were a better indicator
of capacity than demand, he cautioned, as staff have been continually
going “full tilt,” adding appointments only with more staff to shoulder
the load. “It’s something we’re constantly wrestling with, as to how
much we can do,” he said.
Dr.
Rina Gupta, director of counselling services at Queen's University in
Kingston, holds a one-on-one session with a patient. She believes staff
are more often working longer hours than required to find time for
students.
JOHNNY C.Y. LAM/The Globe and Mail
Anecdotal
evidence from mental-health professionals suggests that students are
arriving at school clinics with more intricate cases than ever before –
and not all schools have found success in referring their most acute
cases out to community resources. For the past two years at the
University of Toronto, health and wellness centre director Janine Robb
says she’s observed a trend where external resources and external
psychiatry will refer patients back into the school’s care – “because
they have the designation ‘University of Toronto student,’” she
explained in an interview. “So, we’re getting more complex and acute
students, which doesn’t really fit with our short-term model. It’s been a
real task of negotiation.”
She says
that nearby care systems such as Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health will see students in emergencies, and will admit them as
needed. “But there’s no long-term follow-up generally available,” she
said. “This is ridiculous,” she added, noting that the age of most
university students is such that, with early and effective intervention,
the long-term burden of mental illnesses can be reduced.
“It’s really hard, if we need a student to have long-term care, to actually find that care for them.”
That
returns the pressure to U of T, where counselling staff have taken to
dividing up bigger offices to create more spaces to work in. They, like
many other universities, have adopted a ‘stepped care’ approach. That
dictates that treatment starts with the least intrusive, least intensive
tactic. Not all their efforts related to mental health have gone
smoothly: last summer, a new policy drew criticism from students and the
Ontario Human Rights Commission alike. (The policy can place mentally
ill students on mandatory leaves of absence, if the administration
becomes aware of a risk where that student might harm to themselves or
others.) “I don’t think it would have been a first priority for a
university to be providing this much mental-health support,” Ms. Robb
said, speaking broadly of the school’s efforts. “But we also have to
support our students in the ways in which it’s needed. I think we do the
best we can.”
The sheer volume of
students is a challenge in Toronto. Four hours north, at Nipissing
University in North Bay, assistant vice-president of students Casey
Phillips sees the institution’s smaller size as an advantage.
“Sometimes, [larger schools] might not have a student brought to their
attention,” he said. “Or, because of the plethora of services that are
available, navigating those might be sometimes more of a difficulty.”
They
saw 30 per cent more students last year than their counsellors aided in
2012-13. At times, Mr. Phillips says the school is acting as a
temporary aid of sorts – a bridge until a reading week or break, when
students can access services in their hometowns that aren’t available in
the North Bay community.
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Across
the board, schools are doing what they can with the resources
available. At Queen’s University, arts student Raechel Huizinga told The
Globe she was seen by an engineering faculty counsellor for months.
“Those types of things wouldn’t surprise me,” said Rina Gupta, the
school’s director of counselling. She said she believes staff are more
often working longer hours than required, to squeeze students in. Their
wellness service has increased total health-care appointments by 37 per
cent since 2015-16, or 13,000 appointments, but wait times still aren’t
going down.
Students get frustrated
at times, sometimes taking to online groups or forums to vent about
their experiences. “There have been a lot of students who have been very
vocal about wait times or not being to access services, and that’s
understandable if students are feeling stressed,” Dr. Gupta said. On a
typical day, she says she often cancels prior commitments to address
students showing up in crisis, who they try to accommodate right away.
“I did that three times yesterday,” she said in a phone call.
Queen’s
maintains a team of physicians, nurses, psychiatrists and occupational
therapists in addition to counsellors. Other schools have their own
combinations of health-care professionals to complement counselling, and
some offer an additional ‘peer support’ option – a hub of student
volunteers that can offer a listening ear. (This has its limitations, as
students cannot prescribe or advise on medications, and they are not
trained mental-health professionals.) Queen’s recently implemented 11 or
12 group options, from therapeutic groups to skill building. They’ve
started looking at adding web-based components to the service, for use
between appointments or while waiting for one. Ultimately, Dr. Gupta
echoed the sentiment expressed by Ms. Robb in Toronto: “We’re trying our
best,” she said.
Caitlin
Grogan, a student at the University of New Brunswick, tried to transfer
to Dalhousie University in Halifax but transferred back after facing
long wait times for mental-health services.
Michael Hawkins/The Globe and Mail
But
for every school’s efforts – multimillion-dollar budgets that continue
to grow, new wellness centres and redeveloped strategies – there are
still students across the country feeling as if they’ve fallen through
cracks. Before University of New Brunswick student Caitlin Grogan
transferred to Dalhousie in 2016, she called the Halifax school on the
advice of her family doctor, to make sure she could access mental-health
care. Ms. Grogan has borderline personality disorder, and takes
anti-depressant medication regularly. “I was mostly just looking for a
counsellor to see every two weeks and just check in,” she recalls.
What
followed was a series of standbys. The school didn’t book appointments
in advance, Ms. Grogan said, so she waited to arrive in Halifax to set
up an initial intake meeting. Advised to call for a same-day
appointment, she described three days of 9 a.m. calls, during which she
was repeatedly told that no slots were available. She was then prebooked
for a 30-minute assessment, for which she reports waiting another two
weeks. From there, she says she was left to wait for a call, which would
come when there was a counsellor available to see her regularly. Months
passed. Eventually, frustrated, Ms. Grogan transferred back home to New
Brunswick. (Dalhousie declined to comment about Ms. Grogan’s specific
experience, citing confidentiality.)
Upon
her return, Ms. Grogan sought to change things at the school. She
became vice-president of her student union – a position that involves
advocacy on mental-health issues and assisting the assessment of campus
mental-health services. The New Brunswick university is struggling a
little more than usual right now, she said, with one counsellor out on
maternity leave. That means more students are being referred out.
While
postsecondary institutions across the country struggle with similar
issues, Ms. Grogan says a viable solution will take more than new
counsellors. “They’re always going to be full. We can’t hire our way out
of this mental-health crisis,” she said. She urged schools to instead
look into the causes of student distress.
“I’ve just become very passionate about making sure no one falls through the cracks, like I did.”
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