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National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students

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What is the Standard?

The National Standard of Canada for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students  — the first of its kind in the world — is a set of flexible, voluntary guidelines to help post-secondary institutions support the mental-health and well-being of their students.

    Access your copy of the Standard. Add the complimentary Standard to your cart and create a CSA Store account to download it.

Where to Start?

A Starter Kit was created to help post-secondary institutions take their first steps in aligning with the Standard — in the COVID-19 context and beyond.

    Download the Starter Kit
    Join the community to access supportive resources. Create a separate account to access the CSA Community, where related resources are available in the Centre for Outreach, Resources, and Engagement (CORE).

How does the Standard work?

The Standard is adaptable, so each post-secondary institution can decide what is achievable based on their situation, resources, and community context. And because it’s grounded in a commitment to continuous improvement, each can determine its own priorities for improving student mental health and well-being over time, no matter where they start.

    Watch this video for more information about the Standard

The Standard supports the following key outcomes:

    raise awareness about mental health and decrease mental illness-related stigma,
    provide healthier and safer institutional environments,
    improve opportunities for student success and flourishing, and
    promote life and resiliency skills that students can use at school, at work, and in daily life.

Additional information

    Learn how the Standard was developed.
    Browse the  Standard FAQ.
    View the Guide to Student Mental Health During COVID-19.
    Read the literature review summary on emerging and promising practices for the psychological health and safety of post-secondary students by Dr. Heather Stuart and her team at Queen’s University.

Source: Mental Health Commission of Canada