Keep the the conversations open
@Noemi The program was for all students. As far as what was the “crossover” there were numerous reasons. One of the main factors that I think diminished the resistance, was realizing that within a group of people, and the diverse cultures, there was a slew of similarities. The challenges were the same, the way the challenge presented itself may have been different. Students seeing breakthrough conversations- gaining confidence to overcome challenges. The safety net of the group/community and explore better ways of interacting with others. The strict standards of confidentiality were equally as important. Records of participation were not accessible to parents, teachers, faculty, and deans etc. Unless there were certain circumstances. The students themselves had to give authorization for anyone’s inquiry. Which made the students in control of the situation. Which is always of value.
Being a university student – as you know – can be a difficult balancing act. It is easy to get weighed down with the pressures of academics, social life, and choosing a major and so on. If personal problems are piled on top of these pressures, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There were different groups and workshops which made it easy for them to identify with.
There was distress tolerance, learning how to improve coping skills, groups range in diverse areas. Workshops were topical with a therapeutic focus and the students realized they were helping each other. Encouraging open and frank discussions while getting to the core. As a psychology student, we started a group with the focus of awareness of mental health and resilience (it started as a project) For students by students -showing support is beneficial to manage the inevitable ups and downs and the resources available. Mental wellness was brought into the light – which it’s ok to talk about it. From there the students that were not really “interested” took another look at the options available with a different perspective.
Years later when working with JP Morgan Investment in NYC I did facilitate– employee support programs.
@ the Story you mentioned- quite interesting! open discussions help… can’t get any more open than Twitter. Using it to share info, raise awareness and openly discuss mental health problems from different perspectives. Social media is changing the world, and its changing how people with issues connect with each other. The capability to learn from , share not only in the immediate localities but over the globe.