Student organization advocates for mental health awareness
Mental illness has a societal stigma around it at times, and groups on and off the Keene State College campus push to raise awareness.
Active Minds is a group at KSC formed by students and co-advised by Brenda McEachern, a counselor at the KSC Counseling Center, to raise awareness for mental illness and support suicide awareness. McEachern said she created the organization after her brother had committed suicide after hiding his symptoms and thoughts. The group advocates for young adults to speak out and let them know they do not stand alone.
McEachern began the organization at KSC over four years ago after hearing about it from her supervisor. “I think it’s [mental health] an incredibly important issue that students should know about,” McEachern said.
There is a monthly report that the KSC chapter sends out to the organization’s headquarters to show things are rolling in Active Minds.
The group puts on many programs to increase mental health awareness among the KSC community. According to Vice President of Active Minds Damian Vacca, a senior at KSC, some programs have included a panel of people with mental health illnesses to talk about their experiences. Active Minds has put on this program for the past two years.
Another program organized this fall included a candlelight vigil to support suicide awareness. The group plans on having TED Talks with discussions after the videos later in the semester and next semester.
Active Minds also plans on working together with “What’s up at KSC,” which is an organization for the students who do not participate in activities related to drinking.
Photo Illustration by Brian Cantore / Photo Editor
The collaboration may include what kind of impact alcohol consumption can have when it is added to a mental illness.
“I think every time we do something people are really grateful that we have put on whatever event it is,” Vacca said. He explained the reaction students had to the candlelight vigil this fall and the panel last year.
“It’s stuff that people want to talk about because there’s just no outlet because of the stigma that’s been connected to mental health,” McEachern said, “and that’s what Active Minds is all about is trying to get rid of this stigma so that people can talk about mental health issues.”
Senior Brandon Roy, treasurer for the club, encouraged people to go to the counseling center. “They’re just afraid because the stigma that we’re trying to prevent goes with going to the counseling center,” Roy said, “but you can’t view it as, ‘Oh, I’m going because I’m sick,’ it’s, ‘I’m going because I want to better myself.’”
The Public Relations representative of Active Minds, senior Morgan Mason, explained that she believes mental health is just as important as physical health. “I don’t think people realize how important mental health is,” Mason said, “Everyone is kind of concerned with other things and people think about your physical health, but I think mental health is just as important and people just don’t see it that way.”
The executive board members agreed that the reason they are a part of the club is because they have each had an experience with mental illnesses whether it was with themselves or with loved ones and they each want to help erase the stigma around mental illnesses.
According to the organization’s website, Active Minds is a national organization founded by Alison Malmon when she was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. The organization has been around since 2003.
Monadnock Family Services is a community based group collaborates with Active Minds on campus.
According to Lucy Shonk, director of development at Monadnock Family Services, part of the organization’s mission statement is to, “foster mental and emotional wellness for individuals of all ages and create services that heal, education that transforms, and advocacy that brings a just society.” Shonk said she works to reduce the stigma of mental illnesses.
“Mental illness is not something everyone wants to talk about or think about,” Shonk said, “I think the less they’re [the community] afraid and more will be willing to accept people with mental illnesses.”
The organization has many programs for all age groups including a family support group, programs for the youth and substance abuse groups. Shonk said that MFS works closely with KSC community service groups to create programs for the college and Keene community to help raise awareness for mental illness.
There are also internship opportunities with MFS. The organization serves over 130 people in the Monadnock region.
Shonk said she became a part of MFS as a volunteer in 2000 and now works as an employee for the organization. She said she has some friends who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and seeing that encouraged her to reach out. “It’s one way I can give back [to the community],” Shonk said.
Rebecca Marsh can be contacted at rmarsh@keene-equinox.com
