Featured Initiative

Propel collaborative research that supports student mental health

Inlight Student Mental Health Research is working with students to ensure they have the support they need to realize their potential—in academia and beyond.

A close-up on the hands of two people, clasped together across a table.

Student anxiety, depression and suicide attempts have been rising at Canadian post-secondary institutions. To address this troubling situation, the University of Toronto is reimagining the way we provide mental health care by improving access to support and fostering a caring community. But critical evidence is needed to build on these efforts — including the lived experience and expertise of students themselves. 

We’re collaborating with post-secondary students in an authentic, meaningful way — and redefining how research can improve their lives.

Kristin Cleverley, Chair, University of Toronto Inlight Student Mental Health Research

Inlight Student Mental Health Research is collaborating with students to identify gaps in knowledge — and design and evaluate solutions that will improve their lives. U of T is one of the world’s top research and teaching institutions, whose partners include the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) — Canada’s largest mental health hospital. Drawing on its partnerships and the expertise of Canada’s largest and most diverse student body, U of T has built the foundation for the country’s first comprehensive, accessible, innovative and scalable model of care and prevention — with Health and Wellness Centres on all three campuses, pathways to care for acute problems, a “stepped-care” approach to help those with less acute needs and Navi, a chat-based virtual assistant that helps students find support.

But there’s still a lot of work to be done. Your generous gift will catalyze cutting-edge, collaborative research that will help us better understand the conditions that shape student mental health, find the best ways to engage students and scale the mental health model we develop across campuses in Canada — all while integrating principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and Indigeneity (EDIAI) in our approach. Help us create the knowledge that will support students as they build healthy, productive lives.

To learn more about how you can support world-class research to help students succeed, please contact Institutional Strategic Initiatives Advancement.

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