Annual event returns with more activities across all campuses.

George Brown College (GBC) put mental health front and centre once again.

To celebrate Mental Health Day the athletics department in collaboration with others around the college, put together an event for students.

This year, the event took place across all three major campuses offering a showcase of different services available to students.

During the event, activities such as dance, music, and some food options were offered to help students feel welcome and supported by the departments. This aimed to raise awareness and highlight this important theme, especially for students.

Martin Muhr, student support and mentorship coordinator for Peer Mentor+, mentioned that GBC offers stress management workshops and counseling for those students that are looking to manage their anxiety, stress, and other mental health concerns.

“So, with the counseling department offers a variety of different workshops and things like that. They have a stress management workshop. They have ongoing support groups, so if a student is interested in getting some small group work with some other students and counselor, they can do that. And then they can also reach out for one-on-one counseling appointments, he said. “Additionally, we have Peer Mentor+, and that is student to student support. So that is students who’ve gone through the lived experience of having to balance work and life in school, and we’ve gone through mental health challenges”

Muhr noted the stigmas around seeking help for mental health. Students from diverse backgrounds and cultures sometimes feel insecure and afraid of being judged by society, which leads them to avoid seeking help.

“There’s still a lot of stigma. That stigma can have real effects in terms of where we’re coming from. It can reduce job prospects. It can reduce societal prospects. So, when they come here, they’re coming with that loaded feeling of, if I talk about mental health, there’s going to be real and serious repercussions. And one thing that we always try and say is that things are here are hopefully getting better, and also there are a lot of privacy that happens here.”

Cindy Hwang, a business student at GBC, noted how mental health is especially important for international students who lack family support in a foreign country, as they have to juggle assignments, work, social life, and their physical health.

“It is very hard for us, students, and I think especially international students without any family, to manage college, make new friends, work and stay healthy. Sometimes is too much. We have so many assignments, tests, and obviously work, because the bills aren’t paid by themselves. So sometimes, we just live life on autopilot and forget to take care of our mental health, this is why I think is so important for the college – which is the place we spend most of our time – to offer support and help to students,” said Hwang.

Students who are facing mental health issues can seek help through the college or the Student Association.