During Mental Health Month and beyond, mental health plays an important role in life

May is Mental Health Month, and Purdue is raising awareness of the important role mental health plays every day in the lives of all individuals.

About half of Americans can remember a time when we were not constantly connected and it was easier to tune out the noise of the world, while the younger half of the population can’t imagine life without the internet.

Modern life can have a significant impact on mental health — for better or for worse. Technology allows individuals to mobilize and provide collective support more efficiently in times of natural disasters or injustice. 

And while devices make people more connected than ever, loneliness is an increasingly serious public health concern. Recent survey data show that more than half of U.S. adults (58%) are lonely.

Finding a sense of calm and focusing on well-being when you are having mental health concerns can be daunting in our fast-paced society. It can be especially challenging to know where to start. Mental Health America encourages individuals to take action to protect their mental health and overall well-being. 

This May, Purdue will continue to help members of the Purdue community to:

• Learn how modern life affects mental health with new resources to navigate the changing world.
• Act by building a coping toolbox to manage stress, difficult emotions and challenging situations.
• Advocate to improve mental health for themselves, the ones they love and their community, which, by the way, is the foundation for the behavioral health pillar of the Healthy Boiler Program.

MHA has created a toolkit, which provides free, practical mental health resources to help individuals figure out where to start. Go to mhanational.org/may to learn more. 

Those who believe they may be experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition and are unsure of where to start, can take a free, private mental health test at mhascreening.org to determine next steps.

At Purdue and Purdue Global, the goal is to relieve employees of the stress that often comes with seeking mental health assistance so they can go beyond the surface and receive help. That’s possible through the university’s behavioral health providers — all of which offer free, confidential counseling for benefits-eligible employees and dependents covered on a Purdue health plan:

• West Lafayette: SupportLinc
• Northwest: New Avenues
• Fort Wayne: Bowen Center
• Purdue Global: HealthAdvocate

These providers offer quality counseling (in-person or virtual) in a neutral environment where individuals can work through issues without judgment. And getting started begins with a phone call to a caring professional trained to help, no matter the issue.

Additionally, once an employee engages with the behavioral health provider for their campus, they can be referred to the Center for Healthy Living behavioral health counselors for long-term behavioral health support and care if needed. Note: Purdue Global employees are not eligible for care at the CHL.

It’s important to remember that working on mental health takes time. Change won’t happen overnight. Instead, by focusing on small changes, individuals can move through the stressors of modern life and develop long-term strategies to support themselves — and others — on an ongoing basis.

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES  

To assist faculty and staff  

Faculty and staff can review the Mental Health Resources webpage for a variety of resources that support the behavioral health pillar of the Healthy Boiler Program, as well as for information on Purdue’s health plan coverage for mental health and substance abuse.  

To assist students  

Faculty and staff who work with students or have a student at home can direct them to the resources below for behavioral health assistance. Note: United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) — medical plan provider for students and graduate students — offers 292 unique in-network mental health providers serving at various locations within Tippecanoe County. The list is available here. Additionally, students have access to HealthiestYou, which provides virtual access to mental health care as part of UHCSR’s plan. All services are free for students covered under the UHCSR insurance plan.    

Office of the Dean of Students 

• Continuous Network of Support
• Services and Information
• Presentations & Trainings
• Student of Concern Report link

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) 

• Therapy Services at CAPS
• Self-Help Resources
• Group Therapy
• CAPS YouTube channel
• NAMI On Campus — A free, virtual support group on campus
• Thriving Campus — Service that provides students a way to search for mental health providers both locally and across the country
• Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) — Web- and app-based mental health resource