About this Event
Event Overview
In recent years, post-secondary students have been navigating a period of significant social change that calls for action to better understand their complex experiences, challenges, and future opportunities. On March 11, 2026 (9am-4pm), McMaster’s Centre for Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society (ARMS) will bring together students, researchers, mental health practitioners and community partners to discuss the changing landscape of mental health at the post-secondary level, and to re-centre student lived experience as a vital form of expertise in shaping the next phase of student mental health research.
The program includes interdisciplinary panels on social and emotional wellbeing in higher education, barriers and facilitators to student mental health care, generative AI’s implications for learning and creativity, alongside student-led lived-experience panels and workshops focused on disconnection, burnout, and uncertainty about the future.
We welcome faculty, staff, students, and community members to register and take part in a collaborative discussion on student mental well-being. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be provided.
The Art of Connection
A key feature of this symposium is the Art of Connection: A student mental health showcase hosted by ARMS during the evening of March 12, 2026.
This showcase aims to initiate campus-wide discussions on mental health challenges and act as a powerful physical representation of a student-centred self-discovery process. The goal is to reduce stigma associated with mental health issues and provide a channel where students feel comfortable sharing personal struggles, which is an important first step towards improving mental wellness.
Registration for the Art of Connection is separate from the symposium ticket and can be found at here!
A Special Thank You to…
The Student Mental Health Symposium is brought to you by the McMaster Museum of Art (MMA), the McMaster Centre for Health Equity (MCHE), the McMaster Community Research Platform (CRP), and the Centre for Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society (ARMS).
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Alumni Memorial Hall, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Canada
CAD 0.00
