Active Minds is a peer -led nonprofit that raises mental health awareness among college students. Alison Mamon, a Junior at the University of Pennsylvania, founded it because she wanted to make a difference on campus through mental health education. Active Minds now includes a national headquarter in Washington DC and 400 campus chapters in the United States.
The college experience is a great time for students to learn, make friends and create memories that last a lifetime. At this time, it can also be stressful, balancing school, family, work and extracurricular activities. The stress can lead to depression or trigger something unresolved from the past, which leads to mental health issues. Students away from home may not know where to turn to for help. If they live at home, they may not feel their family would understand them. According to rawhide.org, 19% of young people in the United States contemplate or attempt suicide. Studies from dbsalliance.org have shown that this percentage drops when students have options for help.
Felicia Crivello, the outreach chair of Active Minds at SUNY Old Westbury, said, “we try to keep it up beat and friendly even though we are talking about a serious topic” Felicia also told me “I [kept] to myself when I first came to college and Active Minds seemed inviting.”
Felicia’s story shows the positive effects of outreach on her college experience. She explained how Active Minds participates in outreach at Old Westbury. “We try to attract college students, without making it seem like a self-help group…Our programs [include things] such as speakers, art shows… so students will be able to relate to each other.” Felicia later shared that peer knowledge is another form of outreach. If you have a friend with mental health problem, she suggests talking to them one on one so they don’t feel ambushed. “Don’t talk to them [in ] a group. When you are talking to them, approach them [with] sensitivity”. She also suggested avoiding questions such as: What’s wrong with you? Why are you not talking? Instead ask them in statement form: I noticed you didn’t eat today, or I noticed you said, you didn’t sleep a lot today. Felicia stated that, “if you make it about their general health, [they won’t] feel attacked. So you can find out what is going on”. There are also signs of mental illness you can look for, such as giving away possessions or frequently writing letters. To stop the stigmatization of mental health, there are many activities on campus to educate students. For example, Active Minds will host an event called Stamp Out Stigma, where people can stomp on stereotypes written on the ground to show people that hurtful language is not acceptable.
By spreading awareness, at Old Westbury, Active Minds commendably empower those who struggle with mental illness, and share the stories of people whose voices are not heard otherwise. More college communities need to talk about mental health so students can support those in need. Sharing knowledge about mental illness is the first step to stopping the stigmatization.
For more information:
Activeminds.org
Old Westbury Counseling Center: https://www.oldwestbury.edu/life/counseling
*Sources
http://www.rawhide.org/blog/wellness/teen-depression-in-america-troubling-statistics-trends/
http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_statistics…