In an age of rapid technological advancement and persistent social change, the landscape of higher education has transformed dramatically over the last few decades. Today’s postsecondary students consequently live with unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, whereby navigating through these difficulties is not always instinctive. Moreover, educational institutions worldwide are struggling to meet the demands of students who need support transitioning to university life and early adulthood.
Faced with a pressing obligation to help students cope with the mounting number of societal stressors, McGill Faculty of Education experts have launched the Education for Mental Health Resilience (EMHR) Office, tasked with the mission of leveraging education and pedagogy to support mental health and well-being in educational settings. Since its inception in 2020, the EMHR Office has developed and continues to oversee a collection of projects, programming, and partnerships aimed at promoting education for mental health resilience.
The EMHR Approach
The EMHR approach is to rely on evidence or research-based insights, then develop quality educational materials for target audiences using internationally-recognized best practices.
Led by experts in educational and counselling psychology, McGill’s Faculty of Education is making strides in bolstering mental health resilience through inclusive education by empowering individuals to develop stress-management coping skills and responsible self-care. The goal is twofold: To provide youth with evidence-based strategies for improved mental health so that they can thrive in difficult or demanding circumstances; and to provide wellness training to educators, advisors, and others who work with student populations.
The EMHR approach is to rely on evidence or research-based insights, then develop quality educational materials for target audiences using internationally recognized best practices. Led by experts in educational and counselling psychology, McGill's Faculty of Education is bolstering mental health resilience through inclusive education by empowering individuals to develop stress-management coping skills and responsible self-care. The goal is twofold:
- Provide youth with evidence-based strategies for improved mental health to thrive in difficult circumstances.
- Offer wellness training to educators, advisors, and others who work with student populations.
Deliverables include:
For Students
- Online program with interactive materials
- Pre-recorded webinars
- Addressing topics such as:
- Day-to-Day Stress Management
- Managing Test Anxiety
- Decreasing Self-Criticism to Increase Performance
- Techniques in Time Management
- Coping with Stress from Parental Expectations
- When to Seek Help
For High School & University
Educators & Practitioners
- Accompanying guide to the student online program
- Guide to managing students stress and wellness in the classroom
- Consultation guide for institutional response to student mental health, mental health stigma, and supportive communications
- Specialized professional best practice webinars addressing topics such as:
- Self-Injury
- Suicide
- Anxiety
- Depression
Current Projects
Regulating Emotions and Stress for pre-Service Teachers (RESST)
RESST (Regulating Emotions and Stress for pre-Service Teachers) is a multi-year, national initiative led by McGill’s Faculty of Education to address the need for stress management and well-being instruction within teacher education curricula. This initiative has been made possible with generous funding from the Rossy Foundation.
The RESST program aims to enhance the well-being of pre-service teachers (and their students) by providing them with research-based strategies for personal and classroom use. Developed through a comprehensive needs assessment and literature review, RESST has been rigorously evaluated and demonstrated efficacy with pre-service teachers at McGill University
The newly digitized RESST (D-RESST) program incorporates all original RESST content and materials, comprises four brief modules (available in English and French), and is offered in a standalone and self-paced format, allowing students to complete it independently. For more information, please visit our D-RESST webpage.
Promoting Educational Excellence through Resilience to Stress – Hong Kong (PEERS-HK)
PEERS – HK (Promoting Educational Excellence through Resilience to Stress - Hong Kong) is an international collaboration between McGill’s Faculty of Education and the Education University of Hong Kong. This multi-year initiative to evaluates and adapts RESST project strategies to deliver a new PEERS program that supports pre-service teacher stress management and well-being in Hong Kong. The PEERS-HK program seeks to promote pre-service teacher mental health and well-being through the sharing of evidence-based stress management and well-being strategies for personal and classroom use. This initiative has been made possible with generous funding from the WYNG Foundation.
Adjustment to University Life and Transition (AdULT) Project
The Adjustment to University Life and Transition (AdULT) project is a three-year initiative which aims to support incoming undergraduate students’ successful adjustment to university life at McGill. With generous funding and support provided by the Rossy Foundation, this project involves collaboration between McGill’s Faculty of Education, Dean of Students, and Student Life and Learning. The AdUL project seeks to share information, evidence-based strategies, and direct students to resources or services to support their transition through academic, social, adulting, general wellness, adjustment and adaptation domains of university life.
United Nations – World Youth Group Professional Development Project
United Nations – World Youth Group Professional Development Project is a partnership between McGill’s Faculty of Education and World Youth Group of the United Nations, which aims to provide educators across the globe with accessible, free resources to enhance educator and student stress management, ultimately augmenting well-being in the classroom. This project involves disseminating multimedia materials and resources internationally through digital platforms that can be accessed offline, which can then be used to share evidence-based strategies for stress management and well-being that benefits both educators and students around the world.
Evaluating Alternative Approaches to Student Resilience
The Evaluating Alternative Approaches to Student Resilience-Building project is a two-year collaboration with Concordia University’s Access Center for Students with Disabilities (ACSD). This project aims to better understand the experiences of students with disabilities in two areas: (1) their acceptability of differing modalities of resilience-building resources and (2) the effectiveness of these resources as evaluated via students’ reported stress, coping, efficacy, and well-being.
Supporting Emotion Regulation in Early Childhood
In collaboration with the David and Monica Gold Centre for Early Childhood Development, this project seeks to develop and disseminate digital multimedia resources for parents and early childhood educators to build capacity to effectively support emotion regulation (ER) in early childhood. This three-year project will improve access to evidence-based strategies and research-backed tools to support the development of effective ER skills through a series of videos featuring experts in early childhood development and education. By sharing these resources, we aim to build capacity and address common concerns for supporting emotion regulation during the critical developmental period of early childhood.
EMHR Sample Materials
Click on the buttons below to review EMHR downloadable interactive flyers.
Project Leadership
Dr. Nancy Heath
Director, EMHR Project
McGill Faculty of Education’s Dr. Nancy Heath is a James McGill Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology.
Dr. Heath’s research program explores resilience and adaptive functioning in young people at-risk (i.e., children, adolescents, and young adults).
She is a founding member and past President of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS), and the recipient of the Canadian Committee of Graduate Students in Education’s 2011 Mentorship Award in recognition of her outstanding support for graduate students in education. She has published and presented extensively on topics related to mental health and resilience in educational settings, is an internationally recognized leader in the area of self-injury in educational settings, and has worked in collaboration with schools for more than 25 years. Dr. Heath has received over 4.9 million dollars in research grants from provincial and federal agencies.
Global Partnerships
McGill Faculty of Education is looking to expand its roster of EMHR community partners, seeking out universities, colleges, secondary schools, youth mental health organizations, government agencies, and other institutions that share our goals for improved societal mental health resilience. Our ultimate goal in this project with these partners is to establish a consortium in Asia for further academic research, researchers’ exchanges, as well as mutual transfers of idea and knowledge on mental health subjects.
As a partner, you would gain access to all program materials, including new tools as they are developed and disseminated. Your participants would receive McGill-branded workshop completion certificates upon attending any of our in-person workshops in Asia.
McGill University is a non-profit public university. The EMHR is made possible through the generosity of our financial supporters.
Proudly partnering with:
(as of October 1, 2020; in alphabetical order)
- Chinese University of Hong Kong Department of Psychiatry (Hong Kong)
- Clifford International School (Chinese Mainland)
- Delia School of Canada (Hong Kong)
- Education University of Hong Kong Department of Psychology (Hong Kong)
- Education University of Hong Kong Dept. of Special Education and Counselling (Hong Kong)
- Executives’ Global Network Singapore (Singapore)
- French International School (Hong Kong)
- Hong Kong Baptist University Department of Education Studies (Hong Kong)
- Hong Kong Baptist University School of Continuing Education (Hong Kong)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University Department of Applied Social Sciences (Hong Kong)
- Hong Kong Social Workers Association Hong Kong Academy of Social Work
- Lambung Mangkurat University (Indonesia)
- Malaysian Invisible Illnesses Association (Malaysia)
- Mental Health Foundation of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
- Mentalogue Enterprise (Malaysia)
- Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatra (Indonesia)
- Ning Po College (Hong Kong)
- Ning Po Number 2 College (Hong Kong)
- Relate Mental Health (Malaysia)
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland & University College Dublin (Malaysia Campus)
- Shue Yan University Department of Social Work (Hong Kong)
- State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta (Indonesia)
- Teach for Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
- UIN Alauddin Makassar (Indonesia)
- UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta (Indonesia)
- Universitas Hasanuddin (Indonesia)
- University of Hong Kong Department of Psychology (Hong Kong)
Campaign Patrons
McGill’s Faculty of Education is committed to enhancing mental health resilience at McGill and beyond. The Faculty is seeking philanthropic support to help bridge the gap between research and practice by integrating resilience-building skills for students around the world.
On behalf of the academic leaders, research champions, inspiring faculty, and dedicated students of McGill, we are inviting new supporters to join the Education for Mental Health Resilience project. Your gift will have a profound impact on the successful cultivation of campus cultures and student success. Learn more about becoming an EMHR patron.
EMHR Campagin Patrons
We are grateful to the following McGill alumni in Asia for their endorsement of this project and for recognizing the importance of mental resilience to our modern world.
Campaign Chief Patron
Dr. Clifford L.K. Pang
Founder, Chairman of the Board,
President & CEO, Clifford Group.
Chairman of the Board of Directors,
President & CEO, Clifford Hospital.
Professor, the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine.
Campaign Patrons
(in alphabetical order, as of October 1, 2020)
-
Prof. Milton Leong
Owner and Medical Director, The IVF Clinic Hong Kong
Adjunct Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, McGill University -
Mr. Alex Banh
Partner, IPV Capital
Chair, McGill University Advisory Group for Asia & Chair of the Bicentennial Campaign in Asia -
Prof. Albert Chan
Founder and Director, Institute for Family and Psychology Hong Kong
-
Prof. Andrew Law
Professor of Psychiatry and Head, Department of Psychiatry
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland & University College Dublin (Malaysia Campus) -
Dr. Angela Poon
Lecturer, School of Health Sciences and Sports, Macao Polytechnic Institute
-
Dr. Anthony Ng
Retried Urologist,
Director of WYNG Foundation of Hong Kong -
Prof. Cheryl Chui
Social Work and Social Administration Professor
The University of Hong Kong -
Dr. Chuo Ren Leong
Senior Consultant, Vascular Surgery, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore
-
Dr. Daphne Yee
Associate Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
Clinical Lead (Medical), National University Health System, Singapore -
Dr. Ernest Li
Private Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist, Hong Kong
President, The McGill Society of Hong Kong -
Prof. Hui Wang
Associate Professor, Department of Special Education & Counselling, Education University of Hong Kong
-
Dr. Sara Houshmand
Clinical Psychologist, Central Health Medical Practice Hong Kong
-
Dr. Sook Ning Chua
Director, Relate Mental Health Malaysia
Lecturer, Department of Psychology and Child & Human Development, National Institute of Education Singapore -
Dr. Timothy Foggin
VP & Medical Director (Asia Pacific), Teladoc Health International & Advance Medical
Contact Us
Alvin Chung
Regional Head, Alumni Relations & Advancement, Asia
McGill University Asia Office
Email: alvin.chung [at] mail.mcgill.ca
