Student Mental Health and Well-Being Guide
Dr. Meadow Schroeder, PhD and Alyssa West
A postsecondary education is considered a key developmental milestone for the majority of young adults in Canada. Postsecondary institutions are important communities that foster knowledge acquisition and social connection. As they enter into their postsecondary experiences, some students live on their own for the first time, move away from family, and develop new relationships. Although it can be a time filled with new opportunities and learning, it can also be a time of significant challenges as students are expected to take on more responsibilities while focusing on their education. Increasingly, researchers, faculty, and administrators are concerned about how mental health challenges among postsecondary students are impacting their well-being and academic success (MacKean, 2011).
What specific teaching and learning practices support student health and well-being? The Student Mental Health and Well-Being: Supportive Teaching and Learning Practices Guide is an annotated bibliography, exploring articles that address this question. Results have been categorized according to three themes: Implementing empirically supported interventions into the classroom and/or curriculum that support student health and well-being; adapting the pedagogical approach to support student health and well-being; and supporting student health and well-being by promoting faculty understanding and knowledge of mental health.