5 Life-Saving Mental Health Resources for International Students in Canada
Being an international student is hard; it is not just a label but a whole odyssey of dreams…
Expectations and responsibilities in a completely different world, from the world we grew up in. But these are the things which can make us proud of who we are and what we represent — resilience, courage, and a spark of hope to break the chains of poverty and generational curses.
We carry all these on our shoulders while dealing silent battles like homesickness, loneliness, and isolation which can have severe effects.
Mental health for international students in Canada is not much talked about. It is still a taboo among many international students, most students think that they don’t have time for “mental health” or it is only for privileged, and they will be completely fine with time, but that is not the truth.
Because research actually shows that international students are more likely to face mental health challenges compared to domestic students. Most of the international students neglect their mental health which affects them very negatively in the long run.
They see decline in their productivity, grades and sometimes consequences can be detrimental such as depression and anxiety. Some students even take their own lives.
Many international students are not even aware that they have support if they are struggling because they assume that support is only for domestic students which isolate them from using these services, that could have benefit them.
Some students want help and are willing to reach out, but they don’t know where to start or what types of services. When I was a student these services helped me a lot to support myself and get help. So here are my personal list of services I used for my mental health support that you can check out.
University/college international student services
Most colleges and universities has a service hub for international students and most of them provide services for mental health support and also academic support.
If a student has a disability, personal therapy sessions for students, mindfulness activity sessions etc. you can visit their office or call them to check if your university/college provides any such service.
Local Public library
This is one the most underused resource that most people are unaware of, because Libraries aren’t just about books. They can guide to community services, or organizations that can help you with your mental health and any other issues you are facing. Their services are available to all residents.
Faith-Based Support
If You are comfortable to talk to trusted person at place of worship, you should defiantly consider it because they can offer good support and guidance that you might not be aware of.
Friends and Family
Talking to your friends and family and opening to them about your problems can be really big step in taking something out of your plate because I know you are carrying a lot and you don’t have to carry everything alone.
Mental Health Helplines
This is one of the great services because if you need to talk to someone you can use these services. few services are:-
2) CMHA
3) Good2Talk (for students in Ontario and Nova scotia)
Being an international student is brave. You’ve already taken a major step in your life by stepping into a new country, a new system, and a new life. So you should not neglect your mental health i am speaking from experience that reaching out is brave.
Your mental health matters — and help is out there.
(Disclaimer:-The information shared in this post is based entirely on my personal experience as an international student. While I hope it helps others in similar situations, please note that everyone's journey is different. For professional mental health support, always consult with qualified health professionals or official student services.)
References
Da Silva Prado, A., Baldofski, S., Kohls, E., & Rummel-Kluge, C. (2024). International and domestic university students’ mental health over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: Comparison between 2020, 2021, and 2022. PLoS ONE, 19(2), e0299812. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299812.
Yeung, T. S., Hyun, S., Zhang, E., Wong, F., Stevens, C., Liu, C. H., & Chen, J. A. (2021). Prevalence and correlates of mental health symptoms and disorders among US international college students. Journal of American College Health, 70(8), 2470–2475. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1865980.
Rahman, M. A., & Kohli, T. (2024). Mental health analysis of international students using machine learning techniques. PLoS ONE, 19(6), e0304132. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304132.