Thriving Against the Odds - A Photovoice Study on Canadian College Students’ Mental Health and Resilience Strategies

Oct 15, 2026

Study explores the challenges and resilience of nine Canadian students in a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care program in Ontario polytechnic post-secondary education, focusing on mental health and well-being. Using photovoice, students act as co-researchers, sharing lived experiences through visual and narrative expression. Findings identify barriers including limited access to mental health services, academic demands, and food insecurity, alongside resilience via self-advocacy, physical activity, community connection, and relationships with the Land, framed through radical healing theory.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Study focus and rationale

Thriving Against the Odds: A Photovoice Study on Canadian College Students’Mental Health and Resilience Strategies Estefania Toledo University of Toronto, Humber Polytechnic Katherine Borak Humber Polytechnic Abstract This study examines the challenges and resilience of nine Canadian students enrolled ina Bachelor of Child and Youth Care (CYC) program at a polytechnic institution in Ontario, focusing on their mental health and well-being in post-secondary education. Using photovoice, students acted as co-researchers, sharing their lived experiences through visual and narrative expression. Participants revealed barriers such as limited access to mental health services, academic demands, and food insecurity. Despite these challenges, students demonstrated resilience through self-advocacy, physical activity, community connection, and relationships with the Land. Framed by French et al.’s (2020) theory of radical healing, the research calls for systemic change and highlights the shared responsibility of faculty, staff, and administrators to foster inclusive and culturally responsive supports. Findings emphasize the need for accessible student services and academic support, offering insights into how post-secondary institutions can better support students’ academic and holistic well-being. Keywords: college students, Canada, mental health, resilience, well-being, photovoice Résumé Cette étude examine les défis et la résilience de neuf étudiants canadiens inscrits à un programme de baccalauréat en soins à l’enfance et à la jeunesse dans un établissement polytechnique de l’Ontario, en se concentrant sur leur santé mentale et leur bien-être au postsecondaire. Grâce à la recherche par amorce photo (photovoice), les étudiants ont agi à titre de cochercheurs et ont partagé leurs expériences vécues par l’expression visuelleet narrative. Les participants ont révélé des obstacles tels que l’accès limité aux services de santé mentale, les exigences scolaires et l’insécurité alimentaire. Malgré ces difficultés, les étudiants ont fait preuve de résilience en défendant leurs droits, en faisant de l’activité physique, et en tissant des liens avec la communauté et avec la Terre. S’appuyant sur la Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 55:4 (2025) théoriede la guérison radicalede French et al. (2020), la recherche appelle à un changement systémique et souligne la responsabilité partagée du corps professoral, du personnel et del’administration de favoriser des soutiens inclusifs et culturellement adaptés. Les résultats soulignent la nécessité de services aux étudiants et d’un soutien scolaire accessibles, offrant un aperçu de la manière dont les établissements postsecondaires peuvent mieux soutenir le bien-être scolaire et holistique des étudiants. Mots clés : Étudiants au postsecondaire, Canada, santé mentale, résilience, bien-être, recherche par amorce photo INTRODUCTION The challenges to post-secondary students’well-being are complex and multifaceted, influenced by a range of personal, social, and systemic factors. Thaivalappil et al. (2024) found that institutional challenges to student mental well-being include unsupportive attitudes and inaction, perceptions of campus safety, exclusionary campus climates, and inconsistent assessment practices that hinder meaningful evaluation and comparison across institutions. Post-secondary students in Ontario face increasing mental health pressures, compounded by systemic inequities such as food insecurity and limited access to support services (Sureshet al. , 2021) . These stressors are particularly significant for students enrolled in Child and Youth Care (CYC) programs, a discipline that prepares practitioners to work relationally with children, youth, families, and communities who have experienced marginalization, trauma, and systemic barriers. Child and Youth Care (CYC) is grounded in relational, ecological, and justice-oriented app

FAQs

What research method did the study use to capture students’ experiences?

The study used photovoice, with students acting as co-researchers to share lived experiences through visual and narrative expression.

What barriers to mental health and well-being did participants identify?

Participants reported limited access to mental health services, academic demands, and food insecurity as key barriers.

How did the study describe students’ resilience strategies?

Students demonstrated resilience through self-advocacy, physical activity, community connection, and relationships with the Land.

Oct 15, 2026

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