Mental Health Suite
Over the past decade, college students are experiencing mental health crises at higher rates, which reflects a serious and concerning national trend. Notably, suicide is the second leading cause of death in college students. More students need professional clinical intervention in order to be safe in the university setting than ever before and Student Affairs administrators are charged with attending to the mental health needs of the students. Approximately 11% of college students are affiliated with the Greek community nationwide, including those in Interfraternity Council (IFC), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), National Panhellenic Council (NPC), and United Fraternity and Sorority Council (UFSC). Students in this community have been identified as a particularly at-risk population for suicide. Peer-to-peer health education is increasingly recognized as a valuable approach to disseminating information to college students. The current quasi-experimental designed study aimed to diminish reservations about engaging in help-seeking behavior within the Greek community by having fraternity and sorority members attend a 60-minute workshop designed to teach ways to recognize signs of emotional distress and how to refer themselves and/or friends to professional clinical services. Results suggested that those who attended the Recognize & Refer workshop were more likely to seek out mental health services and refer friends in need than those who did not attend the workshop. These results were sustained at the three-month follow-up. Recommendations for Student Affairs administrators are discussed.
-Kirsten Olsen Ph.D.
Director of Counseling and Disability Services
Wellness & Athletics Area
Division of Student Affairs
Link to CAPS
Only One’s Self
Much to the dismay of my nursing students, there is an art assignment in my Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing course. There is no rubric, no formal assignment…only to do an art project. It can be in any medium such as poetry, music, video, clay, or a painting. The only requirement is that it must relate to mental illness or mental health. Art allows us to dive into the emotional side of a topic. There is no right or wrong answer, only one’s self and how one interrupts the assignment.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental illness affects tens of millions of people each year. The majority of us have been affected in some way by mental illness. This art project allows us to better understand that affect and helps students to empathize with others. At the end of the summer course students share their piece with classmates. We discuss what it means to be a family member of a loved one with a mental illness, what it means to be stigmatized, and what we can do as registered nurses.
My students are not art majors; many have never taken an art class. Nevertheless, these pieces come from the heart and bring us closer together as a group…in our joys and in our sorrows.
Charlene Niemi RN, PhD
Sit in Silence
When it comes to mental illness, it is often swept under the rug or misunderstood. As someone who has suffered from an anxiety disorder most of my life, I am showcasing the process of an anxiety attack through dance. The movements in the dance are based off both my personal experience, and symptoms and commonalities that have been showcased in research when it comes to those who have an anxiety disorder. It is my hope that through performance, abstract ideas and thoughts can be understood. Specifically, in this case, I hope to showcase how an anxiety disorder affects an individual.
-Kevin Eberle, Student Researcher/Choreographer
I Am Not My Mental Illness
Last semester, I was taking a course called, “Clinical and Abnormal Psychology” and we were given the assignment to find a movie that either negatively or positively portrays a certain mental disorder classified in the DSM-5. Through my research, I found it difficult to find positive examples of mental disorders, and truthfully, very easy to find completely dramatized and exaggerated examples. The media is often a main source of information for a majority of our society. If the media is portraying mental health in a negative or stigmatized way, that is what a majority of our society will believe. I found the stereotypes of commonly misunderstood mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and then used research from CAPS as well as my class’s personal experiences to give insight to the reality. Through my research, I have learned that our media digs to find the “Hollywood drama” in stories, but then use them to create stigmatized images, particularly for those who already have a negative stigma within society. My goal for this piece is to break down the stereotypes surrounding mental illness and encourage others to show empathy, as well as understand why those living with their mental illness are not defined by it.
– Emilee Grochowski, Student Researcher/Choreographer
Panic!
The night starts off as any other for Lilah, then suddenly without notice, she slowly melts into her mind’s grasp as it abducts her, and she becomes prey to the voices within her subconscious. Her old friend Intrusive gently pierces into her scars and lets all of Lilah’s vulnerability bleed out, staining her from head to toe. Pride lurks in slowly after, praying on Lilah, Beating her down to hopelessness. This piece will give a first hand look at what can go on inside an anxiety-filled mind during a panic attack to create awareness and shed light on the destructive effects of this often misunderstood condition.
-Jacqueline Chavez, Student Researcher/Director
Sit in Silence
When it comes to mental illness, it is often swept under the rug or misunderstood. As someone who has suffered from an anxiety disorder most of my life, I am showcasing the process of an anxiety attack through dance. The movements in the dance are based off both my personal experience, and symptoms and commonalities that have been showcased in research when it comes to those who have an anxiety disorder. It is my hope that through performance, abstract ideas and thoughts can be understood. Specifically, in this case, I hope to showcase how an anxiety disorder affects an individual.
-Kevin Eberle, Student Researcher/Choreographer
Nursing Student Artwork
