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New group supports students' mental health
The University of the Sunshine Coast has launched the first international chapter of the US/Canada-based mental health support and social group Active Minds.
“We want to encourage students to look after their mental health and wellbeing and feel comfortable talking about any issues,” said Sippy Downs chapter president Matt Hull-Styles.
Matt, who is in the final semester of his Bachelor of Social Science (Community Work), said the fledgling group hoped to create a “culture of togetherness” where students realised they didn’t have to suffer alone or put up a front.
“This campus has plenty of resources available, from brochures to free clinical counselling, and we want to ensure they are as visible and accessible as the services for physical disabilities,” he said.
The group is holding regular informal meetings, around barbecues or nibbles and coffee, and from next year will organise awareness campaigns.
While tertiary institutions are not immune to society’s stigma surrounding mental health, worldwide evidence shows students aged from late teens to late 20s suffer significant levels of illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
“Behind that smile during a lecture, someone may have struggled just to leave the house,” says Matt, who also works part-time at USC as a tutor to Indigenous students.
“Active Minds will be as much a social group as a support and referral group.”
The campus-based network was founded in 2001 by a University of Pennsylvania student after the suicide of her 22-year-old brother. It now has 205 chapters across that continent.
Matt, 29, said he was deeply affected as a teenager by a friend’s suicide and knew the difficulties of maintaining good mental health in a busy lifestyle.
The jujitsu competitor juggles fatherhood and family life, three jobs, university studies and hobbies.
“I hit a crossroads at 25 and changed my life,” he said. “I left the hospitality industry and playing guitar in bands and instead decided to help people. So I enrolled at USC.”
He said he particularly enjoyed talking one-on-one with lecturers and tutors, to tap into their combined professional and academic knowledge.
The Director of Student Services, Eva-Marie Seeto, has helped launch the Active Minds initiative.
With qualifications in psychology and social science, Ms Seeto has 20 years’ experience in Queensland’s health and disability sectors and is currently state president of Relationships Australia.
“My current doctoral research confirms that many students with mental health conditions seek the support of peers who understand their experiences,” she said.
Research participants felt that sharing study skills, coping techniques and social engagement with peers would improve their functioning in the academic environment.
– Julie Gatehouse