Steve Paikin had me pegged.
While watching The Agenda last week, I’ll admit to being ready to shout ‘suck it up’ at my television. I don’t like to admit that. I reserve that type of outburst for important televised events, such as poor bullpen management during the World Series.
But there I sat ready to counter what I was watching, with Paikin egging me on.
The TVO host dedicated his Friday show to Anxiety on Campus, an hour-long exploration of mental health issues among the current generation of university students. It’s a topic, given I nearly lost my best friend to such issues in university, I eyed with great interest.
But the discussion that followed was as much a disservice to the issue as it was an embarrassing representation of an entire generation.
The show was presented in two parts – an interview with Gitta Kulczycki, Western vice-president of resources and operations, on university responses to the campus mental-health crisis, followed by a panel of four current university students from across the country on modern campus life.
Kulczycki was a rock star. In the face of some tough, and occasionally misguided, questions from the host, she delivered a thoughtful, powerful performance. No spin. Just an honest look at what we can – and cannot – do as a university for those facing mental health issues.
And if you doubt Western is a leader in the area of student mental health, even though we admit to having a long, long way to go, take note of the fact Kulczycki didn’t have much company on the set. No UBC. No U of T. No McGill. Western was sitting there, taking the veiled criticism and tough questions, alone.
Good for us. I applaud Western, and especially Kulczycki, for stepping up to the plate on this issue. We know we don’t have all the answers. But at least we’re talking about it publicly.
Paikin put too much – even all – of the burden of identifying and treating these issues on universities. That’s a bit unfair. We’re going to need some help solving this thing. Beyond family and friends, a lot of that help starts with the students themselves.
I expected that point to be made by the student panel. But not so much.
The panel’s discussion alternated between the inane and the downright offensive for those who have been touched by mental health issues. While some serious discussions may have been in play from time to time, the conversation often devolved into the watered-down babble these kids absorbed from too many episodes of Oprah or Dr. Phil.
They admitted they represent a generation who has had it too easy. We had no Great Depression, no world war, they said. They acknowledged their generation, one handed a trophy at every turn, often doesn’t confront real independence – in life, in thought, in decision-making – until it steps onto a university campus. And, by then, it might be too late to learn new tricks.
Rarely, however, did the discussion explore true mental health issues. This panel repeatedly confused the stress which comes with the deadlines and expectations of university, with true mental health problems. Stress adaption starts with the individual. Not the university. Not the residence staff. Not friends and family. If you are trying to balance school, work and partying, the decision is fairly clear what you can cut out first.
That’s not a mental health problem. That’s immaturity. And believe me, as someone who suffered from the latter for far too long, I know.
A lesson to take away is we need to be careful distinguishing between those struggling with mental health issues, and those struggling with making bad decisions. We also need to educate this generation on what actual mental health issues are versus, say, the drama used to fill otherwise comfortable lives.
I cannot imagine being a thoughtful, intelligent member of the generation being represented, and watching this tripe play out for the whole country. Even worse, I hope the discussion did not scare students with real mental health issues back into the shadows.
Even Paikin started to lose patience: “There will be a generation of people watching this program right now who will say, ‘This is all fancy talk for this generation doesn’t want to pull its socks up high enough.’”
Count me among them, Steve. But know it has nothing to do with generations; it has everything to do with understanding. And this panel simply did not understand.