Students at 227 Canadian universities and colleges, including the Yukon, took action to create positive change in mental health Wednesday as part of the 10th anniversary of Bell Let’s Talk Day.

More than 500 campus mental health events took place around this year’s Bell Let’s Talk campaign theme, Mental Health: Every Action Counts.

“We’re proud to raise the Bell Let’s Talk flag on January 29 to highlight our ongoing commitment to student mental health and well-being,” said Dr. Wally Rude, registrar and dean of enrolment services at Yukon College.

“Last year, students participated in Bell Let’s Talk by sharing their strategies for self-care. This year, students are co-leading all of our event planning.”

Since its launch in September 2010, Bell Let’s Talk has partnered with more than 1,000 organizations providing mental health services in every region of Canada, including hospitals, universities and other care and research organizations.

“This year’s post-secondary mental health campaign will reach more than 1.7 million students on campuses across the country,” Mary Deacon, the chair of Bell Let’s Talk, said from Montreal on the eve of the events.

“As we celebrate our 10th annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, we congratulate students for their leadership in taking action to build psychologically safe and healthy campus environments.”

Most students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions are age 24 or under, the demographic most susceptible to developing mental health issues.

Seventy-five per cent of people with a mental health disorder were first diagnosed between the ages of 16 and 24.

The Bell Let’s Talk post-secondary campaign grew out of a student-athlete initiative at 11 Atlantic Canada universities in 2016.

Now reaching students at universities and colleges in every province and territory, the campaign has expanded to include varsity and collegiate athletic games and a wide range of events from information kiosks to open houses and conferences.

“A few years ago, my basketball coach asked the team if we would be open to wearing Bell Let’s Talk toques around campus to help end the stigma around mental illness,” said Sascha Kappos, a student-athlete at Dalhousie University.

“We didn’t know then the positive impact this kind of simple action would have. Today, students are more aware of support services, more open to having discussions about mental health and I would say overall more compassionate about the issue.

“I’m proud to have been one of the first to wear the toque!”

The mental health initiative is focused on four pillars: anti-stigma, care and access, research and workplace leadership.

“Throughout Québec, universities and colleges are working to promote mental health and raise awareness in their communities,” said Éric Doré, director of student services at Polytechnique Montréal and new president of the Regroupement des directions universitaires des services aux étudiants du Québec.

“The Bell Let’s Talk initiative offers us the opportunity to engage with students, highlight the resources available on campus and foster a stigma-free culture.”

“Having struggled with depression throughout my life, I know how important it is to speak openly and honestly about mental illness,” said Santa Ono, the University of British Columbia’s president.

“I want students who are struggling with mental health issues to know there’s nothing to be ashamed of and that things can get better with appropriate support and counseling.

“The Bell Let’s Talk campaign has been an important part of creating an open and honest dialogue about mental health,” Ono added.

Humber College staged events hosted by different departments on the campus, including speakers with lived experience discussing the challenges they’ve faced.

“The Bell Let’s Talk campaign has become a collaboration by faculty, administration and students to create a mental health wellness circle of support, dialogue and acceptance,” said Jacqueline Anderson, the college’s associate director of wellness and development.

Bell Let’s Talk and the Rossy Foundation are funding the development of a national standard for post-secondary student mental health to establish best practices at Canadian campuses.

Work on the standard is being led by the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

“I’m proud to be working with university and college communities to help develop a national standard to support student mental health,” said Jennifer Hamilton, the executive director of the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS).

“The standard will continue the positive momentum in mental health that we’re seeing on campuses across the country.”

On Wednesday, Bell donated five cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of several communication platforms.

In 2019, Bell Let’s Talk Day generated 145,442,699 messages across all platforms, growing Bell’s funding for mental health by an additional $7,272,134.

Since the first Bell Let’s Talk Day, Canadians and people around the world have sent a total of more than one billion messages of support for mental health.

This brings Bell’s total commitment to $100,695,763, including the company’s original $50-million anchor donation when Bell Let’s Talk launched in 2010.

Now the most-used Canadian hashtag of all time, #BellLetsTalk was once again the top Twitter trend in Canada and worldwide in 2019. The Bell Let’s Talk Day video was retweeted more than any other tweet in Canada.