The Observatoire sur la santé mentale étudiante en enseignement supérieur (OSMÉES)was commissioned as part of the 2021–2026 Action Plan on Student Mental Health to conduct the’Enquête nationale québécoise sur la santé mentale étudiante en enseignement supérieur et ses déterminants.

This survey is conducted in two phases. The first survey took place in November 2024, while the second will take place from November 2 to 22, 2026. Its objectives are to provide an overview of student mental health and how it has changed over time, to generate subpopulation profiles that reflect the diversity of student populations, and to assess the need for support, as well as access to and use of psychosocial support services.

Key information to keep in mind in preparation for phase 2 of the survey (november 2026)

The OSMÉES survey will be back from November 2 to 22, 2026. Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

August 26: Webinar to present the student mental health kit
August 26: Distribution kit sent out and orders for booths open
August 26: Start of the pre-survey campaign
September 25: Deadline to order materials for booths
November 2–22: Start of outreach and engagement (booths)

Part 1 of the “Temps pour toi” survey

The survey was conducted from November 4 to 22, 2024. A total of 77 higher education institutions and 32,212 students participated. The findings are clear:

Persistent challenges: 42.9% experience moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and 46.6% experience symptoms of depression — rates more than double those observed in the adult population.
Particularly vulnerable populations: 2SLGBTQIA+, non-cisgender, and disabled students.
Encouraging signs: 88.7% consider their mental health to be ‘moderate’ or ‘flourishing’, and more than half sought help when they needed it.

Read the highlights report (in french)

Read the full report (in french)

These findings are consistent with those of surveys conducted a few years earlier at colleges and universities in Quebec.

58 % of university students showed high levels of psychological distress. (Union étudiante du Québec, 2019)
19 % of university students are reported to have depressive symptoms severe enough to require medical or psychological support.. (Union étudiante du Québec, 2019)
Three times more students had suicidal thoughts than the general population, and twice as many had attempted suicide. (Union étudiante du Québec, 2019)
The rate of suicidal ideation and psychological distress recorded among students at the Université de Montréal campus was higher than the average for the Quebec population of the same age. (Fédération des associations étudiantes du campus de l’Université de Montréal, 2016)
35 % of CEGEP students surveyed felt anxious all the time, and 18 % had suicidal thoughts. (Gosselin et Ducharme, 2017)
Approximately one in three students showed symptoms consistent with depression at CEGEP. (Gallais et al, 2022)
64 % of the student population (college) has seen their psychological health deteriorate as a result of the pandemic crisis. (FECQ, 2021)

Références

Gallais, B., Lanoue, S., Guay-Dufour, F., Paré-Beauchemin, R., Bizimana, E-G., Lane, J., Guertin, R., Pinsonneault, M., et Dubois-Bouchard, C. (2025). Rapport scientifique : Enquête
québécoise sur la santé mentale étudiante en enseignement supérieur. Observatoire sur la santé mentale étudiante en enseignement supérieur (OSMÉES)

Gosselin, M-A. et Ducharme, R. (2017) Détresse et anxiété chez les étudiants du collégial et recours aux services d’aide socioaffectifs

ECOBES (2022) Adaptation psychologique et adaptation aux études à distance des étudiants collégiaux face à la crise de la COVID-19

Fédération des associations étudiantes du campus de l’Université de Montréal (2016) Enquête sur la santé psychologique étudiante

Portrait of student mental health in Quebec

Part 1 of the “Temps pour toi” survey

These findings are consistent with those of surveys conducted a few years earlier at colleges and universities in Quebec.

Références