SMU Events Encourage Campus Community to Learn Signs of Mental Illness

Samuel Merritt University (SMU) is observing Mental Illness Awareness Week on Oct. 4-10 with free mental health screenings and lunchtime workshops on how to attain better overall wellness.

The Student Health and Counseling Center (SHAC) will hold its first in-person screening day on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The free and anonymous “Check up from the Neck Up” event is designed to screen for common signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Students are invited to drop in between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to fill out a brief written self-assessment and then meet privately with a mental health counselor.

“Our goal is to help raise awareness of the many common mental health concerns so we can connect our students if necessary with the free services we have available,” said SMU staff psychologist Jeanne Zeamba.

Also planned are noontime presentations on techniques to gain a more relaxed mind and to motivate healthy behaviors through storytelling. “Quieting Your Mind: Learning Basic Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Skills” will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Peralta Medical Office Building Room 4004, and “The Healing Power of Story” will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the Health Education Center in room 312. Download a copy of a PDF flyer here.

In 1990, Congress designated the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week to raise awareness about the devastating effects of mental illness on people’s lives. 

The theme of this year’s event is to erase the stigma associated with mental illness by encouraging people to learn about the signs of mental health problems, ask for help and address symptoms early. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is promoting the hashtag #IAmStigmaFree.

Nearly one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). And about 10 million Americans over the age of 18 suffers from a serious mental illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

Anxiety disorders — including post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobias — plague 18 percent of U.S. adults, but few are receiving minimally adequate treatment, according to the NIMH.

“The SHAC at Samuel Merritt University is helping students, staff and faculty be aware of the many different forms of mental illness out there and to reduce the stigma so we are able to talk about these issues among our community and our families,” said Zeamba.

Photo: SHAC staff