Content Warning:  The following communication addresses the importance of mental health and contains specific mention of stigmas and resources, including specific crisis support services such as the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

On April 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., join the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) in the Student Commons Lobby to learn all about mental health disorders, concerns, and struggles, and helpful resources for students. With finals around the corner, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself in these especially stressful times. Through this event, it is our goal to highlight the importance of mental health and ways that students can seek assistance tailored to their specific needs while breaking down the societal stigmas surrounding these resources that put barriers around seeking help. Alongside this information, we will also be discussing the results of the Aims Healthy Minds Network survey and what these statistics mean for our community.

There will be three tables in the Student Commons Lobby during this event for information on breaking stigmas, the results of the Healthy Minds survey, and helpful resources inside and outside of Aims. Representatives from Counseling Services will also be available at tables to provide information and assistance. Students who collect a stamp at all three tables will be entered to win one of two articulated dragon fidget toys. Winners will be contacted by phone/email before the end of the day, with a week to claim the prize afterwards from the CDI in Student Commons room 120.

Why Is Mental Health So Important?

It may not always seem like it on the surface, but mental health has a major impact on physical health in many unseen ways. Unlike a bruise or broken bone, damage to one’s mental health is often invisible on the surface, but that doesn’t make it less important. The brain is the command center for the entire body so it’s just as important to maintain, whether through daily activities like self-care or larger endeavors like therapy.

Alongside the health of the body, relationships are also a major facet of life that’s affected by mental health. The abilities to form, maintain, and strengthen relationships all come down to how you’re thinking, feeling, and reacting to social situations, which all depend on the current state of your mental health. Inversely, these relationships with friends, family, and/or significant others also play a major role in an individual’s mental health. Healthy relationships and a strong support network are extremely beneficial to overall mental health and often play a major role in recovery.

A healthy mind is crucial for things like decision-making, focus, happiness, energy, motivation, and many other important functions of everyday life. As a college student, these functions translate into every facet of education. From grades to attendance to class participation, missing just one of these functions can greatly affect your college experience and increase stress levels. There are many important resources to help lessen or treat these effects, but the stigmas surrounding them can often turn people away from getting the help they need.

Stigmas Surrounding Mental Health

Western society has historically underestimated the importance of mental health and placed unwarranted stigma on mental health disorders and seeking support. Although progress has been made in dismantling some of these barriers, the value placed on mental health varies greatly across different communities and cultures. Research consistently supports the benefits of therapy and medication, which, while varying in effectiveness from person to person, are crucial tools for managing mental health. It is vital to challenge the misconceptions that view these treatments as anything other than steps toward healing and strength.

While Western society plays a big part in stigmatizing mental health, people’s experiences are also influenced by race, religion, gender, and location as well. According to statistics, men have a drastically higher rate of untreated mental illness and substance misuse due to the societal stigmas surrounding the idea of masculine norms (Chatmon). In Spanish-speaking Latinx families, language barriers play a major role in preventing mental health care along with cultural stigmas. There are countless examples of stigmas that vary from person to person, all coming together to form a barrier toward help, treatment, and acceptance for those who need it. Despite these barriers, it’s important to remember that education is an important tool in fighting stigma, support is easier to access than ever before, and there are numerous resources available both at and around Aims available to students who wish to seek support.

Seeking Support

Seeking out various forms of support, particularly therapy, has been viewed as a weakness. People have not only been judged but encouraged to address challenging life circumstances alone or with minimal support to avoid the stigma of asking for help. Asking for help or seeking support from a professional is a courageous act that deserves recognition as a source of strength. If you or anyone you know is experiencing these challenges, please feel free to interact with or share any of the resources below. If you have any questions or want more information, the CDI as well as Counseling Services and DAS (Disability Access Services) are available to assist with contact information also provided in the Resources section.

Resources

• AIMS
  • Aims Counseling Services
    • counseling@aims.edu
    • https://www.aims.edu/departments/counseling-services 
    • (970) 339-6255
  • CARE Report
    • https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?AimsCC&layout_id=1
  • Center for Diversity and Inclusion
    • cdi@aims.edu
    • https://www.aims.edu/departments/center-diversity-and-inclusion
    • (970) 378-3646
  • Disability Access Services
    • disabilities@aims.edu 
    • https://www.aims.edu/departments/disability-access-services 
    • (970) 339-6565
• CRISIS SUPPORT
  • Crisis Support Services
    • 928 12th Street, Greeley, CO 80631
    • Walk-In Center open 24/7
    • (970) 347-2120
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
    • Dial 988
• DISABILITY ADVOCACY
  • The Arc of Weld County
    • 5312 West 9th St. Drive Suite 150, Greeley, CO 80634 
    • (970) 353-5219
  • Access and Ability
    • 218 N. 2nd St. Unit F, La Salle, CO 80645
    • access-ability@prodigy.net 
    • (970) 737-9031
• MENTAL HEALTH
  • North Range Behavioral Health
    • 1300 N. 17th Avenue Greeley, CO 80631
    • (970) 347-2120

References

Healthdirect Australia. “Signs of Mental Health Issues.” Www.healthdirect.gov.au, 25 Sept. 2023, www.healthdirect.gov.au/signs-of-mental-health-issues.

“Science behind Therapy.” Mental Health America, mhanational.org/science-behind-therapy.

Chatmon, Benita N. “Males and Mental Health Stigma.” American Journal of Men’s Health, vol. 14, no. 4, July 2020, p. 155798832094932. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988320949322. 

Grieb, Suzanne M., et al. “Mental Health Stigma Among Spanish-Speaking Latinos in Baltimore, Maryland.” Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, vol. 25, no. 5, May 2023, pp. 999–1007. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-023-01488-z.