Midterms, 'turkey dump' impact mental health of stressed students

The first few weeks of university or college can be exciting for new students, but at the same time, an incredibly stressful time.

For many students, it's the first time they're on their own, setting their own schedule and away from parents or caregivers.

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"They're exposed to a whole new group of friends, in many cases a new city new country for someand they're in many ways redefining themselves and some of the history they have at home gets left behind," said Walter Mittelstaedt, director of campus wellness at the University of Waterloo.

And now, just as they're getting settled, two more big things are on the horizon: Midterms and the dreaded "turkey dump."

Thanksgiving breakup

The turkey dump is when a student returns home for Thanksgiving and they either break up with or get dumped by their high school sweetheart.

"Just when you think you've figured out how to make the long distance thing work, your high school sweetheart decides to heave your heart down a spiral staircase."

That's what a section for "dumpees" says on the website turkeydump.com.

"I think it's funny that the term has been defined, and it has spread from word of mouth between students year after year," website creator and University of Guelph graduate Scott McCarter said of his tongue-in-cheek look at a common occurrence in a student's first year.

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The website is trying to bring some levity to what can be a very stressful situation, and McCarter said he's received a lot of feedback from students who appreciated a laugh about the situation, but some students need extra support to deal with what can be a life-changing event.

"Many of them come through that quite well and then some, I think, who maybe have some other kinds of vulnerabilities are needing some extra help," Mittelstaedt said.

Workshops, training and door knocks

Schools in Waterloo region and Guelph have ramped up talking about mental health after a number of student suicides made headlines during the 2016-2017 school year.

This week, administrators, faculty and counsellors are knocking on dorm room doors at the University of Guelph to check on students and talk about what is available to them if they are feeling overwhelmed.

Patrick Kelly oversees the housecalls program."The first six weeks in terms of transition, that's important that if we can do the outreach and if students can make connections with professionals outside the classroom then they're more likely to have a better transition, feel more connected to the university, " he said.

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Conestoga College in Kitchener is currently marking a mental health awareness week where there are information booths on campus and a social media campaign to reduce stigma around mental health.

During the fall semester, the school has also hosted nine Safe Talk suicide alertness training sessions for students, faculty and staff while counsellors are also making themselves available for same-day appointments as often as possible.

At Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., counsellors' days are packed with reaching out to students and letting them know there is help available.

"We have weekly skill building workshops branded as 'ride the waves of student life' with workshops designed to offer practical tips for increasing resilience, managing stress, and developing skills to cope with the turbulence of life, led by our counselling team," Karen Ostrander, director of Laurier's Student Wellness Centre, said in an email.

"Our wellness education co-ordinator is working with our peer wellness education team to create robust programming throughout the year."

Avoiding isolation

When a student died by suicide at UW in March, the school's president Feridun Hamdullahpur wrote an open letter to students.

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"We need to provide leadership and find solutions that are specific to Waterloo," he wrote. "We expect to hear more from faculty, staff, alumni and especially students on what more we can do to support people who may be struggling with mental health issues. These efforts are already underway and will need to include input from all of us."

Mittelstaedt said that comprehensive review is nearing completion but in the meantime, they're making some changes.

"We're trying some things like making walk-in sessions available. We definitely want to put a lot of emphasis on health promotion going forward so people looking after themselves before they get into the worst situations," he said.

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Many students will rely on their friends or classmates when it comes to needing to vent or share experiences.

Some will need a little extra help, and that's OK, Mittelstaedt said. He said every student should know their school is there for them.

"We, right from orientation, try and really be on top of making students aware of what's available for them," he said.

"The worst thing that can happen for a student would be in that time, when all these things are churning and changing, that an individual student would become isolated."