Active Minds wants to end stigma about mental health
By Andy Treese
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Focus
It's a mysterious condition that's plagued mankind since the start of its existence.
Even thousands of years later, in the current age of the 21st century, one out of four people suffer from mental illness. Under the broad spectrum of mental illness are disorders of varying severity, from depression and seasonal anxiety disorder, to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. They affect the young and the old alike, and outside of classrooms and hospitals, mental disorders are not usually discussed openly.
But one on-campus organization aims to make the stigma behind mental illness a thing of the past.
Active Minds, a nationwide nonprofit organization devoted to raising mental health awareness on college campuses, was founded in 2001 by Alison Malmon at the University of Pennsylvania following the suicide of her older brother a year earlier. Since then, the organization has expanded nationwide and is currently supporting chapters stationed at 242 active campuses, including the Rock.
Senior marketing and communication major, Carol Barsody, 20, is the current president of the SRU chapter. Barsody has been with the chapter since its first stages of forming.
"It all started with our adviser," she said. "She was really dedicated about it, and at the Fall Organizational Fair, she was handing out fliers to people. Eventually, a group of us found it, thinking that it was very interesting, and decided to create the campus organization."
Dr. Melissa Nard of the Student Counseling Center serves as the adviser of the student chapter on campus.
"Last semester, I held great interest in creating a local Active Minds chapter for our campus," she said. "I advertised and held a meeting. And since then, the students have just ran with it and have done a great job."
The vice president of Active Minds is junior psychology major Whitney Wideman, 21, who's contributing to the club's effort of increasing awareness.
"What we basically aim to do is to get people talking about mental health issues," she said. "By making it so more people will feel comfortable about seeking help for any mental issues, we will get people to understand the truth and to hopefully 'stomp the stigma.'"
Even thousands of years later, in the current age of the 21st century, one out of four people suffer from mental illness. Under the broad spectrum of mental illness are disorders of varying severity, from depression and seasonal anxiety disorder, to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. They affect the young and the old alike, and outside of classrooms and hospitals, mental disorders are not usually discussed openly.
But one on-campus organization aims to make the stigma behind mental illness a thing of the past.
Active Minds, a nationwide nonprofit organization devoted to raising mental health awareness on college campuses, was founded in 2001 by Alison Malmon at the University of Pennsylvania following the suicide of her older brother a year earlier. Since then, the organization has expanded nationwide and is currently supporting chapters stationed at 242 active campuses, including the Rock.
Senior marketing and communication major, Carol Barsody, 20, is the current president of the SRU chapter. Barsody has been with the chapter since its first stages of forming.
"It all started with our adviser," she said. "She was really dedicated about it, and at the Fall Organizational Fair, she was handing out fliers to people. Eventually, a group of us found it, thinking that it was very interesting, and decided to create the campus organization."
Dr. Melissa Nard of the Student Counseling Center serves as the adviser of the student chapter on campus.
"Last semester, I held great interest in creating a local Active Minds chapter for our campus," she said. "I advertised and held a meeting. And since then, the students have just ran with it and have done a great job."
The vice president of Active Minds is junior psychology major Whitney Wideman, 21, who's contributing to the club's effort of increasing awareness.
"What we basically aim to do is to get people talking about mental health issues," she said. "By making it so more people will feel comfortable about seeking help for any mental issues, we will get people to understand the truth and to hopefully 'stomp the stigma.'"
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