Anxiety and depression are widespread among graduate students.

Studies indicate that 40% or more of graduate students experience anxiety and depressive mental health issues (1). Although graduate students make up approximately 22% of the student body on the Vancouver campus (2), most campus well-being initiatives focus on undergraduate students. Current graduate students programs fall short, with many graduate students feeling isolated in their community, and the university as a whole.

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The goal is to develop a graduate wellness program that targets the specific types of issues that graduate students struggle with.

The plan is to use and in-house approach to mental wellness within the Botany and Zoology departments. The objective of this is to improve mental well-being and promote belonging to aid in graduate academic success.

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(1) https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4089

(2) http://pair2016.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2018/01/2017-18-Enrolment-Report-Final.pdf