b'MENTAL HEALTHLearning LessonsMore needs to be done to ensure the mental health ofLGBTQ+ post-secondary studentsBy Sarah B. HoodT heres never been a stranger timeIn May of 2019, a report titled LGBTQ2now, theres a really big need to provide to be in school. Students have beenHealth Policy: Addressing the Needs of LGBTQ2psychological and emotional support to piecing their schedules togetherPost-Secondary Students shed more light onstudents, specifically LGBTQ+, agrees between in-person and online learning, neverthe situation. Developed by the CanadianAbdallah, explaining that its about creating a certain when the next COVID-19 outbreakCentre for Gender and Sexual Diversitysafer network for LGBTQ+ students tomay disrupt the fragile equilibrium. In aand submitted to the House of Commonsfeel comfortable in themselves not the May 2020 survey by the Canadian AllianceStanding Committee on Health, the reportpainted sidewalks.of Student Associations, 70 per cent ofwas ground-breaking in its reach. It wasMichael R. Woodford, associate professor Canadian post-secondary students reportedbased on the organizations study Queryingin the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid feeling stressed, anxious or isolated.Canadian Higher Education (QCHE), whichLaurier University and one of the reports For LGBTQ+ students, who statisticallydrew its information from a separateauthors, agrees. He says its not enough experience higher levels of anxiety, thesurvey of more than 39,000 Canadian post- simply to guess what LGBTQ+ students need situation is even worse, and experts aresecondary students in 41 Canadian schoolsto thrive on campus; more research-based calling for additional support to help themin 2016.insight must be developed. Woodford points cope with their unique challenges. Adding aThe ultimate takeaway was that LGBTQ2to the U.S. where quite a bit more progress whole pandemic only increases the need forstudents face far more mental challengeshas been made in this area and mentions mental-health support to LGBTQ+ students,then their straight colleagues and that morestudent centres funded by universities for says Ahmed Abdallah, intersectionality andneeds to be done in the way of support.their LGBTQ2 community as an example. diversity education coordinator with theAmong those surveyed, LGBTQ2 studentsWe have data that demonstrates that Canadian Centre for Gender and reported higher levels of victimization thanstudents who are connected with those Sexual Diversity. cisgender heterosexual students, rangingcentres have higher levels of mental health, Part of the challenge is that there isfrom verbal threats all the way to physical orsays Woodward, adding that Laurier has insufficient understanding of LGTBQ+sexual assault.similar spaces at both its campuses. In student needs, and little research beingThe report further noted that LGBTQ2the U.S., theres a lot more attention given conducted to gain better insight, explainsstudents reported poorer outcomes into campus climate for a range of groups, Abdallah, who is also the 2spirit and queerthe previous 12 months than cisgenderincluding LGBTQ2. Many of our colleagues in commissioner for the Canadian Federationheterosexual students across all mental healthCanada have learned from the U.S. of Students. There is a general lack ofindicators. Of particular concern was thatAlso important, says Woodford, are support in terms of finding out what LGBTQ+rates of attempted suicides were more thansystems that allow students to change their students need, he notes. Institutions willthree times higher for LGBTQ2 students, assume what students need, and sometimeswhile rates of depression diagnosis wereown names on college records, something they get it right, like providing safe spaces.more than double. The report recommendedthats become more important since the start Other times, they get it wrong and they needthat the federal government collaborateof the pandemic given that professors may a more appropriate system for finding outwith provinces, territories, post-secondaryonly see the official namewithout a face what students need. institutions, community organizationsattachedin the online classroom.Educational institutions often adoptand LGBTQ2 researchers to develop policyClearly, a comprehensive approach is a window-dressing approach when whatframeworks specifically addressing the needsneeded if universities and government are to is really needed is far more substantial.of LGBTQ2 post-secondary students. It alsomake positive strides in improving LGBTQ+ Abdallah calls for more support to address allcalled for dedicated funding and support forwellness on campus. With better awareness types of harassment, and less of what he callsdata collection and analysis. More specificand the right initiatives in place, universities the performative aspects, i.e., token gesturesrecommendations included the provisionand colleges can become more welcoming like a sidewalk painted with a rainbow flag.of gender-neutral washrooms and gender- environments for all their students. We have While commendable, these gestures fail toinclusive housing. to anticipate these things, Woodford says. address the real problem. Thats one bigCulturally responsive services in mentalIts [about] bringing that kind ofthing that post-secondary institutions gethealth and wellness, as well as academicawareness, a lens to anticipate these kindswrong, says Abdallah. advising, were also mentioned. Rightof changes. 14| QBiz CANADA | Issue 2 2021'