In a groundbreaking effort by the UBC Student Wellness Centre, the team is suggesting a new method of mental health support: just, like, sharing one?
“It’s a controversial tactic,” said Dr. Noah Lott, a researcher with UBC Wellness. “It has yet to be really tested for effectiveness, but we have faith that this could really be a solution to all of our problems. You know, a solution that doesn’t cost the university any money which are the only solutions we care for.”
So far over 10,000 UBC Vancouver students have enrolled in the “Sharing is Caring” wellness program through the counselling centre. It was a speedy process, as any student who was already on the UBC counselling waitlist was auto-enrolled.
“It’s been alright so far,” said one third-year arts student. “I mean, there are seven of us slotted to one mental health, but we’ve sorted it out kind of like a timeshare — we each get one day of the week.”
While some students are able to work with what they were given, other students have not been so pleased with the program.
“It’s really not reasonable that me and twelve other people should be sharing a unit of mental health that is so minuscule,” said a fifth-year engineering student. “We have started studying together so that we can all use it at the same time, and while it’s nice to have that bonding time it only has so much power.”
“It can’t sustain us all at once,” said one of his co-healthers. “The thing is constantly overwhelmed and we have to reboot it the mental health. My physical health can’t take it!”
Even still, the program is being lauded as revolutionary by other stakeholders at UBC.
“It is absolutely perfect,” said the UBC President. “Because it’s free.”