Mental health support for Canadian postsecondary students during COVID-19 pandemic: An environmental scan.

Objective: This study explored how Canada's postsecondary institutions have informed students about campus mental health (MH) services via websites and social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We conducted a Web-based environmental scan of 20 universities and 24 colleges across the province of Ontario, Canada, between October 2020 and July 2021.

Results: 91% of the institutions offered virtual counseling services and 84% offered general psychoeducational resources, whereas only 55% had COVID-19 specific MH resources. Larger institutions had more MH support to students than small schools. There was a trend toward outsourcing counseling and emergency services to external professionals via apps and hotlines. Limited MH information was available for out-of-province and international students.

Conclusion: It is vital for equitable campus MH services to address unique MH challenges associated with the crisis and intentional outreach to students with special circumstances. Schools can leverage peer support and self-help to promote student mental well-being.