As of this year, 135 universities and colleges in Taiwan offer students mental health leave, accounting for more than 90 percent of the nation’s higher education institutions, Ministry of Education data showed.
That is an 11-fold increase since 2022, when mental health leave was offered by only 11 institutions, the ministry said.
Depending on the school, students are typically granted three to five days per semester of mental health leave, which is sometimes called “psychological leave” or “psychological adjustment leave.”
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
National Taiwan University (NTU) introduced mental health leave in 2023, allowing each student three days per semester, with students able to apply for same-day leave without any supporting documentation.
If a student applies for more than two days of mental health leave or applies twice, the system automatically notifies the student affairs and counseling centers to initiate follow-up care.
The policy gives students in need a “chance to breathe,” and alerts the university and advisers to students’ needs, NTU vice president for student affairs Chu Shi-wei (朱士維) said.
About 400 to 500 NTU students apply for such leave each month, totaling 1,500 to 2,000 applications per semester, Chu said.
The policy increases demand for counseling staff, which is a crucial part of supporting students’ mental health, he said.
The legislature last year passed amendments to the Student Guidance and Counseling Act (學生輔導法), boosting the required counseling staff-to-student ratio at junior colleges, colleges and vocational schools from one counselor per 1,200 students to one per 900 students, he said.
The ministry provides subsidies for schools to hire more student counselors, and NTU employs 40 full-time staff, including psychologists and social workers, he said.
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) also began offering mental health leave in 2023.
In a class of 30 students, there are typically five to 10 mental health leave applications per semester, showing that students remain self-disciplined and do not abuse the system, NYCU president of student affairs Chien Wen-pin (簡紋濱) said.
Last year, the ministry released official guidelines for mental health leave at universities and colleges, recommending three days of leave per semester that are classified under their own category and not under other forms of personal leave.
The ministry added that it also runs programs on campuses to improve mental health literacy among students through courses and activities, while helping student counselors and advisers hone their skills.
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