Illustration by Danielle Pacholuk

With the increasing demand for MacEwan’s psychological and wellness services, the university is bringing on an online service called Uwill.

MacEwan’s wellness and psychological services have reportedly seen a significant increase in demand. Along with a rise in demand for MacEwan’s mental health services, SAMU’s peer support services have also seen “an exponential increase” in demand, according to Alem Tesfay, SAMU vice-president (student life). 

Tesfay said that the students he has talked to are experiencing stress due to issues with affordability, the cost of living, concerns about the job market, and other financial struggles. Last summer, according to Statistics Canada, the national unemployment rate among returning students aged 15 to 24 averaged almost 18 per cent—the highest since the summer of 2009. 

According to MacEwan’s website, the university offers free short-term mental health services and resources. This includes registered psychologists, counsellors, social workers, and others. These services do not have “physicians or psychiatrists on staff who can prescribe medication,” or make clinical diagnoses, but may connect students with outside resources if needs are outside their scope. 

“You suddenly get severed from being able to access those programs, and people don’t have the money to pay out of pocket for the cost of a psychiatrist or even to see a psychologist or an ongoing therapist.” 

—Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare

In an email response, Alison Drew-Hasling, MacEwan vice-president (student support and accountability), said that MacEwan acknowledges the increased demand from students and has signed with the mental health platform Uwill to complement available resources, expand access, and reduce barriers for students. 

Uwill is a private mental health service that offers users access to licensed counselors, around-the-clock crisis support, and programming. 

Tesfay acknowledged that Uwill acts as a supplemental service for MacEwan students but also pointed to other programs that help build student “mental resilience,” like the Physical Activity for Student Success (PASS)  program through MacEwan’s sports and wellness that pairs student with trainers who aims to build students’ confidence and “improve their mental health” through exercise. 

“We should have clinics that have doctors and other professionals working together to provide people [with] the care they need…instead, the government [is] just breaking those up more and more,” 

—Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare

Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare, stated that having these services is crucial, but noted gaps in services during the summer months or after students have graduated. 

“You suddenly get severed from being able to access those programs, and people don’t have the money to pay out of pocket for the cost of a psychiatrist or even to see a psychologist or an ongoing therapist,” Gallaway said. 

Gallaway added that the disparities seen on campus are provincial-wide, stemming from the restructuring of Alberta Health Services, which separates the mental health and addictions operations, known as Recovery Alberta, from Primary Care Alberta operations. 

“We should have clinics that have doctors and other professionals working together to provide people with the care they need,” Gallaway said. 

“On campus, you don’t have a connection to something broader beyond that, and we know that continuity of care and team-based care is better for people’s health, so that should be what we’re building towards, and they seem to be building the opposite.” 

—Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare

Gallaway said that having multiple services and resources offered to students, such as peer support, crisis and distress lines, and counselling is important, but states that many of these added supports and services are not connected to a wider and accessible primary healthcare system. 

“On campus, you don’t have a connection to something broader beyond that, and we know that continuity of care and team-based care is better for people’s health, so that should be what we’re building towards, and they seem to be building the opposite.”