WSU News Archive

By Steve Nakata, Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment

PULLMAN, Wash. - Research shows mental illness among college students is on the rise nationally, and the same trend is evident at Washington State University. In response, WSU Pullman is offering faculty and staff specialized two-day training sessions to identify and help students who may be affected by mental illness.

 

The three sessions for spring semester will be:
Thursdays, Feb. 21 & 28
Thursdays, March 21 & 28
Wednesdays, April 10 & 17

 

Sessions will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center 144. They cost $55. Space is limited. To register and for more information, visit the Wellbeing program website.

       

 

In the United States almost half of adults will experience a mental disorder in their lifetimes; one in four will be affected by mental illness this year. People in developed countries are more likely to experience mental illness than any other type of illness, including cancer and heart disease, according to the World Health Organization.

 

When it comes to college students, researchers have found:
• Up to 18 percent suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. At WSU, data collected by the American College Health Association (ACHA) showed half of students surveyed experienced "more than average” to "tremendous” stress at some point during the past 12 months.
• According to ACHA, within the past 12 months 43 percent of WSU students felt things were hopeless; 81 percent felt exhausted; 86 percent felt overwhelmed by all they had to do; and 31 percent felt so depressed that it was difficult to function. Almost 5 percent seriously considered suicide.
• Students who suffer from mental illness are much less likely to succeed in school.

"We strongly encourage faculty and staff to attend this training course,” said Milton Lang, senior associate vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment. "Those who complete the course will become officially certified in mental health first aid.”

 

 

Participants will learn how to look for warning signs for a range of illnesses, including depression, anxiety/trauma, psychosis, eating disorders, substance use disorders and self-injury. They will learn a five-step action plan to help them assess each situation, implement appropriate intervention and connect students with professional care.

 

The course will provide a wide variety of resources to help guide faculty and staff working with students who have mental health problems.

 

"This mental health first aid training provided an excellent opportunity to learn
how to identify potential areas of concern in students and be proactive in making
appropriate referrals,” said Phyllis Erdman, associate dean in the College of Education, who attended one of last year’s sessions. "The information shared was well organized and professionally presented.”

 

"The course alerted me to local, regional and national resources that I could refer to myself or refer someone else to for help,” said Skyler Archibald, coordinator for competitive sports & youth programs in University Recreation. "The instructors emphasized the value of listening non-judgmentally, assessing risk and observing symptoms of people who might be experiencing mental illness and providing reassurance and information if the situation called for it."

 

The training is a collaborative effort between the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment, Counseling Services and University Recreation’s Wellbeing program.

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