81% Of Quebec University Students Felt 'Psychological Distress' Last Year

A new poll on behalf of the Quebec Student Union found that 81% of Quebec university students experienced high levels of "psychological distress" and struggled with mental health in fall 2020.

Marketing firm Léger surveyed 1,209 members of the province's university student community to "paint the most complete possible picture of the state of student psychological health" during the fall 2020 semester, according to a statement released by the Union on February 10.   

Editor's Choice: Quebec Researchers Found A 'Breakthrough' That Could Help Treat People With HIV

81% of survey respondents reported high levels of psychological distress

Fifty-one percent of students surveyed said their level of psychological distress had increased since the beginning of the fall 2020 semester, and 39% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms.

While 52% of respondents said they felt a need for psychological support, 77% said they did not seek professional help.

The majority of those students — 52% — said they didn't seek help due to a lack of time, while 47% cited the high costs associated with counselling.

Most students — 72% — reported feeling more isolated than the year before, and 65% identified their workload as their main source of stress.

Thirty-five percent of respondents said support services offered by their university had decreased during the semester.

The survey found that 7% of respondents had serious thoughts of suicide, while 3% had made one or more suicide attempts in the 12 months preceding the survey.