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Mental Health
Resources

SAMU, MacEwan, and the surrounding community is home to many organizations that provide support and care. Browse through our library of resources and see what fits with your situation. If you don’t see what you are looking for, come chat with us and we’ll do our best to connect you to the right resource! 

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS

Discover resources to help you better understand mental health, relationships, identity, disability, and overall well-being. Whether you’re looking to learn, find support, or explore a topic in more depth, these guides are here to help.

Learning about stress
Support Mental Health
Understanding Suicide
Self-Harm & Harm-Reduction
Exploring Relationships
Exploring Attraction
Exploring Gender Identity
Understanding Disability

Learning about Stress

Stress is often the result of high demands and is a common experience among students. Learning about stress can help us support ourselves and others.

SAMU & MacEwan Resources

SAMU Peer Support

  • SA-223, SAMU Building
  • City Centre Campus, 10850 104 Ave
  • For information about Peer Support, please contact the Peer Support Assistant at sapeersupport@macewan.ca.

Peer Health Education Team

MacEwan Wellness Psychological Services

Identifying Stress

Signs of stress can be physical, emotional, or behavioural. 

Some common symptoms of feeling stressed include:

  • Problems with sleep
  • Irritability
  • Headaches
  • Anxiety
  • Indecisiveness
Coping with Stress

We can handle stress by regaining balance. We do that by increasing our coping strategies to deal with the demands.

When we look at coping, we want to do both external and internal things.

It is essential to develop a robust social system, break up your routine, take care of your body, and ask for help when needed.

There are lots of ways to cope with stress. Check out some coping strategies below to see what works best for you.

Ways to cope

Internal Coping Strategies

  • Exercise
  • Take a break
  • have a nap
  • Watch your favourite TV show
  • Cook a meal
  • Deep breaths
  • Meditation

External Coping Strategies

 

  • Talk to someone you trust
  • Reach out to a family member to chat
  • Hang out with friends
  • Form a study group
  • Ask someone to be an accountability partner
SAMU & MacEwan Resources

SAMU Peer Support

  • SA-223, SAMU Building
  • City Centre Campus, 10850 104 Ave
  • For information about Peer Support, please contact the Peer Support Assistant at sapeersupport@macewan.ca.

MacEwan Wellness Psychological Services

Alberta Community Services Line

  • Call 211

For immediate support, please contact…

  • Distress Line | 780.482.HELP (4357)
Understanding Mental Health

Mental health concerns are common and affect many students. Mental health impacts our emotional, psychological and social well-being.

Any number of situations and/or events can change our mental health. Factors that can contribute to these changes include failing a test, losing a loved one, relationship problems, or financial struggles.

These factors can result in depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. 

Some signs of struggling

Some signs that an individual may be struggling with their mental health include, but are not limited to:

  • Having low or excessively high energy
  • Isolating themselves
  • Eating too much or too little
  • Sleeping too much or too little
  • Problems concentrating
  • Inability to perform daily tasks
  • Dramatic changes in weight
  • Apathy
  • Feeling paranoia, worry, or anxiety
  • Constant irratability or anger
  • Substance abuse
  • Changes in school performance
Seeking support

It is okay to seek support if you or someone you know is suffering from mental health challenges.

Some individuals find the following beneficial:

  • Exercise
  • Talking to a trained professional
  • Working with a psychiatrist to find the right medication for you
  • Implementing routines and coping mechanisms
  • Reaching out to loved ones for support

Finding what works best for you is crucial to supporting your mental well-being.

Mental Health Supports

Mental Health is a common concern for students. Learning about Mental Health can help us support ourselves and the people around us. 

understanding suicide

Suicide can be hard for people to talk about, and it impacts us all. Talking about suicide can save lives.

It is one of the leading causes of death for young people. It can affect anyone, even if they don’t have a mental health condition.

There are several reasons why individuals die by suicide or attempt suicide. It is usually associated with helplessness, isolation, and being overwhelmed

SAMU & MacEwan Resources

SAMU Peer Support

  • SA-223, SAMU Building
  • City Centre Campus, 10850 104 Ave
  • For information about Peer Support, please contact the Peer Support Assistant at sapeersupport@macewan.ca.

MacEwan Wellness Psychological Services

For immediate support, please contact…

  • Distress Line | 780.482.HELP (4357)

IF IT IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 911.

Signs of Suicide

Most deaths by suicide do not happen without warning. There are possible warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide.

Signs of suicide may include, but are not limited to:

  • Drastic changes in behaviour
  • Feeling hopelessness or isolation
  • Depression, anger, sadness, mood swings, or outbursts
  • Reckless behaviour
  • Discussing wanting to die and/or making jokes about suicide
  • Loss of interest in things one cares about
  • Getting one’s affairs in order
Suicide and Ambivalence

Some people who have suicidal thoughts may feel stuck between two choices – wanting to live and wanting to die. This feeling is called ambivalence.

In the end, it is ultimately about wanting to end the pain. They may feel they have no one to reach out to or be a burden to those around them.

Remember...

If you notice signs in someone you know or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, it’s okay to reach out and/or seek support.

Remember, talking about it can save lives.

SAMU & MacEwan Resources

SAMU Peer Support

  • SA-223, SAMU Building
  • City Centre Campus, 10850 104 Ave
  • For information about Peer Support, please contact the Peer Support Assistant at sapeersupport@macewan.ca.

Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton

  • 14964 121a Avenue
  • 780.423.4102
  • sace.ca

Edmonton Violence Prevention Centre

Identifying Healthy Relationships

Healthy relationships can look like: 

  • More good times than bad times
  • Open communication
  • Feeling comfortable and supported
  • Having a life outside the relationship
  • Feeling safe and comfortable saying no to sexual activity
  • Pleasant interactions between loved ones and partners
  • Both partners contribute ot the relationship
  • Engaging in conflict constructively
  • Boundaries are respected
Identifying unHealthy Relationships

Unhealthy relationships can look like:

  • More bad times than good times
  • Feeling pressure and control
  • Focusing all energy on that relationship
  • Confusion and general unhappiness
  • Dropping othe rpeople or activites you enjoy
Identifying Abusive Relationships

Abusive relationships can look like:

  • Extreme jealousy and/or control
  • Yelling and/or name-calling
  • Threats and/or physical violence
  • Pressure to have sex
  • Stealing and/or withholding finances
  • Confusion and general unhappiness
  • Dropping other people or activities you enjoy
The Cycle of Unhealthy & Abusive Relationships

Unhealthy relationships and abusive relationships can happen ot anyone. It is essential to know that it is not your fault and their behaviour is not okay. You can take steps to change this situation when you’re ready. In some cases, people can improve their relationships with resources and support. 

Unhealthy and abusive relationships involve a pattern of behaviour that forms a cycle. When an incident occurs, it is typically followed by a period of food times. IN their period, people often feel happy and connected ot the other person. These good times fade, and tension begins to build again. Individuals often describe this feeling as “walking on eggshells.” Another incident occurs, and the cycle repeats. These stages can vary in length – they can be days, weeks or months apart. 

There are four things to know:

  1. The cycle tightens
  2. The good times shrink/disappear
  3. The violence escalates
  4. The cycle does not end without intervention

As the cycle tightens and escalates, people may fear for their safety. Leaving and/or staying in the relationship may feel like unsafe options. There are resources to support individuals in these circumstances to develop safety and/or exit plans. 

Exploring Relationships

All relationships in our lives look different. Learning about different relationships can help us understand if they are healthy, unhealthy, or abusive.

We have a variety of relationships in our lives that we experience differently. It is usual for relationships to change and grow. We must define what we want from a relationship, and what we are willing to give.

exploring Attraction: Experiencing Sexual & Romantic Attraction

The 2SLGBTQIA+ community encompasses many identities. Learning more about sexuality and queer identities allows us to understand and support ourselves and others.

SAMU & MacEwan Resources

Centre of Gender and Sexual Diversity

Pride Centre of Edmonton

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)

211

  • More information about resources available in Edmonton and Alberta is accessible by calling 2-1-1.
SAMU & MacEwan Resources

Centre of Gender and Sexual Diversity

Pride Centre of Edmonton

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)

211

  • More information about resources available in Edmonton and Alberta is accessible by calling 2-1-1.

Asexual people who don’t experience sexual attraction but still desire to engage in sexual behaviour or a sexual relationship. 

People who identify in the grey area of the sexual attraction spectrum and do not explicitly and exclusively identify as asexual or aromantic. They may experience limited sexual attraction to others. 

People who only experience sexual attraction to those with whom they have an emotional bond (demisexuals are on the asexual spectrum).

People who experience little or no romantic attraction to others and lack interest in forming romantic relationships. 

Women who are exclusively attracted to other women/femmes. 

Men who are sexually attracted to other men/mascs exclusively are also used as an umbrella term for people who are sexually attracted to more than one gender. 

People who experience sexual attraction to more than one gender. 

People whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Among others, the term “transgender” includes those who identify as transsexual, non-binary, genderqueer, or simply just transgender. 

People with non-normative gender identity, sexual orientation, or sexual anatomy – can include lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, transgender people, and other identities. 

Exploring one’s gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Some folks may also use this term to name their identity within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. 

People who may have the genes that people may associate with being male or female, but their reproductive organs, genitals, or both may look different.

People who experience little or no sexual attraction or a desire for partnered sexuality. Some asexual people are celibate, and others do have sex. There are many ways of being asexual. 

People who experience romantic attraction, but not sexual attraction, to people of more than one gender. 

This romantic orientation describes people who experience romantic attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building an emotional relationship with a person. 

People who are sexually attracted to those with non-cisgender gender identities, such as people who are non-binary, genderqueer or trans.

Exploring Gender Identity

How people understand gender and the language around it is vast. Here is some information to help us understand our own and others’ gender. 

SAMU & MacEwan Resources

Centre of Gender and Sexual Diversity

Pride Centre of Edmonton

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)

211

  • More information about resources available in Edmonton and Alberta is accessible by calling 2-1-1.

The pronouns a person uses correlate with their gender identity and how people should address or refer to them 

(Examples of pronouns: they/them, she/her, he/him, ze/hir, she/they, he/they, none)

It is important to remember that we do not call people “it,” as this has been used as a trans and genderqueer slur historically.

Based on certain biological factors (such as reproductive organs, genes, and hormones).

Your sex assigned at birth does not match your sexual identity, and you do not identify within the binary. 

(Example: you were assigned female at birth, but you don’t identify as a man or a woman) (Pronouns: they/them, he/they, she/they)

The idea/construct that there are only two genders (men and women); this also extends to sexes (male and female). There are more than two genders and sexes. The binary does not include all identities and bodies. 

Refers to a person’s understanding and relationship with their gender. 

Refers to how a person expresses themselves to others and how they want the world to see them. 

Your gender identity and presentation shift between or outside society’s expectations for the assigned sex or assumed gender. 

(Example: you were assigned male at birth, and some days people perceive you as a man, and other days perceive you as a woman or neither).

(Pronouns: Gender Fluid/Gender Queer folks may have any combination of pronouns, use different ones at specific times, or respond to any pronouns at all times. It’s up to the individual)

Two Spirit is an umbrella term encompassing different sexualities and genders in Indigenous communities. There are many definitions of Two Spirit, which may or may not describe Indigenous peoples’ experiences and feelings of masculinity and femininity. This cultural term is for people who identify as Indigenous. 

Two Spirit people may or may not identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, because they transcend colonial definitions of gender and sexuality. 

Does not have a gender or identify with a gender. 

(Pronouns: May not use pronouns and must be referred to by name only)

Identifies having two genders.

(Pronouns: May have two sets of pronouns used at different times)

Identifies with and experiences/displays parts of multiple genders.

(Pronouns: There may be multiple sets of pronouns or just one depending on the individual)

Identifies with and experiences all genders.

(Pronouns: often uses all pronouns)

How someone identifies internally and expresses externally (people may use clothing, appearance, and behaviour to express the gender they identify with. This often involves people’s ideas of masculinity and femininity).

Your sex assigned at birth does not match your gender identity and may or may not identify within the binary.

(Example: you were assigned male at birth, but you identify as a woman) (Pronouns: he’him, she/her, they/them, she/they, he/they)

Your sex assigned at birth matches your gender identity, and you identify within the gender binary of man or woman.

(Example: you were assigned female at birth, and you identify as a woman.) (Pronouns: she/her, he/him)

A person may have the genes that people may associate with being male or female, but their reproductive organs, genitals, or both may look different. 

Delving Into Self-Harm & Harm-Reduction

Self-harm is a coping strategy and harm reduction is an approach that encourages wellbeing and meets folks where they are at.

Supporting Individuals Self-Harming

If we or someone we know is self-harming, we can support them by listening to them and discussing ways they would feel comfortable making that behaviour safer.

SAMU & MacEwan Resources

Coalition of Harm Reduction at MacEwan University (CHARM)

Street Works Needle Exchange

  • Radius Community Health and Healing
  • (Formerly Boyle McCauley Health Centre)
  • 10628 96 Street NW
  • 780.422.7333
  • radiushealth.ca

Alberta Health Services

The Queer & Trans Health Collective (QTHC)

What is Harm-Reduction?

Harm-reduction is an approach to addressing self-harm that doesn’t demand individuals abstain from the behaviour but instead meets people where they are at.

Harm-reduction aims to provide support that keeps an individual as safe and healthy as possible while they engage in self-harming behaviour.

Some Examples of Everyday Harm-Reduction
  • Hard hats and steel-toed boots on construction sites
  • Seat belts in vehicles.
  • Wearing sunscreen while outside.
  • Wearing oven mitts when removing hot items from the oven.
  • Wearing condoms (internal or external) when having sex.
Remember...

If you notice signs in someone you know or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, it’s okay to reach out and/or seek support.

Remember, talking about it can save lives.

Some Examples of Harm-Reduction for Individuals
  • Drinking a lower alcohol percentage type of alcoholic beverage.
  • Getting a Narcan kit from a pharmacy if they use opiates (Naloxone is an opiate reversal drug).
  • Establishing a check-in person before and after they self-harm so that someone knows they are okay afterwards.
  • Getting tested for STDs/STIs and using contraception.
  • Getting their drugs tested and using a safe consumption site.
  • Using sterile equipment.
SAMU & MacEwan Resources

Access and Disability Resources MacEwan (ADR)

City of Edmonton Resources

Alberta Government Information

211

  • More information about Resources available in Edmonton and Alberta is accessible by calling 2-1-1
Relevant Terms

Accommodations are measures that support individuals’ access to performing tasks, participating in activities, and interacting with the world around them!

Disability impacts how people with disabilities/disabled people are treated.

Ableism is discrimination against people with disabilities/disabled people and the belief that they are less worthy of respect and consideration, less able to contribute and participate, or of less inherent value than others.

Ableism manifests in our language, how we approach discussions of disability, how we build our world without consideration for people with disabilities/disabled people, and more. 

Exploring what disability looks like

There are many definitions of disability. However, there are specific components present in current definitions:

  • Disability is a condition of the body and/or mind that results in impairment.
  • This condition makes it more difficult for the person to do certain activities. 
  • This further limits persons with a condition from interacting with the world around them.

A disability alters or impacts a person’s ability to do certain things and/or interact with the world around them. There are many different types of disabilities that may impact people’s mobility, learning, sensory perception, cognition/intellect, organ functioning, mental health, immune system, and more. 

Perceptions of People with Disabilities/Disabled people & Supporting the disabled community

Things the disabled community wants you to know:

  • The hardest thing about being disabled isn’t the disability itself, but how others treat you.
  • Disability isn’t a dirty word. Don’t be afraid to say it.
  • A person’s disability may not be visible. If someone tells you that they are disabled, believe them.
  • People with disabilities are whole people and not just tragic stories. See them, not just their disability.
  • Being disabled isn’t a moral failing or character flaw. People don’t choose to be disabled. 
  • Don’t assume someone with disabilities needs your help because it takes them longer to do something or they need to do it differently. Ask.
Things we can do to support the disabled community
  • Some people prefer identity-first language (I’m blind), and others prefer person-first language (I am a person who is blind). This preference is up to the individual. Address them properly.
  • Avoid using functioning labels (high or low) when discussing their abilities and disabilities. These labels can dismiss people’s support needs or infantilize their abilities.
  • Believe what someone is telling you about their disability and respect their choices for independence and/or needs for support. Let them tell you what their boundaries, limits, and needs are.
  • Be aware of ableism within and around you: Don’t use phrases like “I’m so OCD” about colour-coding your notes. Call yourself and your friends on it when you’re using this language.
  • Pay attention to your community.
    • Are businesses and institutions accessible to folks with a disability/disabled folks?
    • Do they have ramps or elevators?
    • Do they have braille or auditory menu options?
      • Advocate for accommodations and inclusivity. 

Understanding Disability

Disability can look many ways and is multifaceted. Understanding disability can help us learn how to best respect and support ourselves and others.

People with disabilities/disabled people are whole people with a broad spectrum of interests, emotions, and experiences. We can respect and support folks with disabilities by learning more about disability and checking our biases at the door.