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In the fall of 2020, the Quebec Student Union (QSU) and the Fédération des associations étudiantes universitaires québécoises en éducation permanente (FAEUQEP) conducted a quick study on student psychological health during a pandemic.

In total, the firm Léger conducted a study of a sample of 1209 university students from 17 universities across Quebec.

The main objective of this survey was to quickly provide information on the state of psychological health of university students, in order to allow the QSU and Quebec's student associations to make informed recommendations to improve student psychological health in the difficult context brought about by COVID-19.

The data for this study were collected during the containment of the second wave of the pandemic, from November 12 to November 19, 2020.

More specifically, the results of the quick study allowed us to draw up a portrait of the state of psychological health of a sample of university students in Quebec during the pandemic. 

• In general, the psychological health of respondents is a concern. When asked directly, 51% of students indicated that they felt their level of distress had increased since the beginning of the fall semester. This self-assessment is all the more concerning when we see that the reported rates of suicide ideation and suicide attempts are significant, at 7% and 3% respectively.

 

• The results also show that just over half of the respondents mentioned feeling a need for psychological support since the beginning of the fall 2020 semester (52%). Of these individuals, many indicated that they did not seek professional help (77%); the most common reasons cited were that the costs were too high (47%) and that there was not enough time (52%).

 

• The top stressors identified were academic workload (65%), lack of social connections (61%), and online courses (56%).

 

• The majority of respondents report that since the beginning of the fall semester, they lack company more often than before (61%), they feel isolated more often than before (72%), and their satisfaction with their social life has decreased (64%).

 

• In addition, a significant proportion of respondents indicated that the support offered by their university and by faculty members since the start of the fall 2020 semester has decreased, by 35% and 40%, respectively.