Leadership

Background:

Throughout my collegiate career I have struggled with my mental health. College introduced me to levels of stress and fatigue that I had never experienced previously. According to the 2016-17 Healthy Minds Study, an annual survey of mental health on American college campuses, 39 percent of students reported experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety (Burwell, 2018). Being a first-generation college student, my family doesn’t understand how physically and emotionally draining college can be and I’m expected to “keep-pushing” despite the personal issues I am facing. Between working, clinical rotations and paperwork, class work, and studying there is never enough time to take care of myself – and I often place my emotions aside and continue to persevere. Eighty percent of college students feel overwhelmed by their workload while others may suffer from anxiety, depression, addiction, and eating disorders. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among college students (Mental Health Guide,2018). Personally, one of my biggest battles during college was the death of my grandmother. As a nursing student, I felt that there was no time to grieve. Despite my loss, I still had to travel to Columbia for clinical, complete assignments, and take exams – there was no time to sort through my feelings. I can only imagine the number of other students who have not had the chance to properly grieve in situations similar to mine and are also struggling with their mental well being.

Issue:

Currently there are no peer groups on campus specifically tailored towards mental health. This is a significant issue in my opinion because aside from having a counselor on campus, students need an outlet to vent in a comfortable environment amongst their peers.The stigma placed around mental health decreases the likelihood of students going to see a specialist – leaving them to suffer in silence. Learning ways to effectively deal with stressors, anxiety, and overall becoming more prepared for the college experience can be beneficial for many students. When students have a panic attack because they received a B minus on a test, it becomes clear that parents have probably not done enough to prepare them for the fact that life involves both success and failure (Burwell,2018). Being surrounded by individuals with similar situations is a great way for students to engage with one another and explain how they deal with similar situations. This issue is most closely related to the key insights therapeutic communication and cognitive reframing but will also include democratic leadership - allowing group members to be more involved.

General Recommendations:

I believe it would benefit the USCL campus to initiate a peer mental health support group that fosters a welcoming, warm environment for students to discuss their stressors. The purpose of this group is to incorporate healthy coping strategies, resources, and active engagement amongst college students in hopes of promoting mental wellness throughout their collegiate experience. Mental health is such a delicate subject; therefore, I think it would also be beneficial to include the campus counselor so that she can provide her expertise, intervene when necessary and provide activities and exercises to aid in coping. During the beyond the classroom experiences of the psych/mental health clinical, I actively engaged with people who had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and many other mental illnesses. While these patients are hospitalized for treatment, they also engage in groups that try to help them with their coping strategies – which we also were able to participate in as nursing students. Writing down my thoughts and emotions allowed me to visualize everything I was dealing with internally on, all on a sheet of paper. We also learned during this clinical rotation that exercise increases the release of endorphins reducing stress and decreasing feelings of depression. Incorporating Zumba days and other fun activities such as painting would release those endorphins releasing stress and providing an outlet for students.

Another one of my beyond the classroom experiences was attending an AA meeting and it allowed us to better understand the difficulties these individuals face. As a guest at the AA meeting, we were told that we could share what we learned, but not repeat the names of the individuals who attended. I plan to use this same model for this peer mental health group. I want students to feel welcomed and safe. By incorporating democratic leadership, students are able to state their feelings on ways to improve this organization and how it impacts them. They would be encouraged to express creative ideas and tasks they feel would beneficial.

In Nursing 411, we learned how beneficial therapeutic communication is. It is the purposeful use of communication to build and maintain relationships with people. By utilizing this concept during the conversations, the students will learn to be sensitive to each other’s needs. It also allows everyone to be attentive to the speaker’s thoughts, feelings, and needs in order to provide the most beneficial feedback. The concept of cognitive reframing would be implemented as a coping strategy. Helping them learn how to turn negative situations in to positive thinking promotes mental wellbeing. I would strive to help students understand how reframing the way you approach things can affect the outcome. The concept of cognitive reframing was discussed as a stress management technique during class. Looking at irrational cognitions in a more realistic light to restructure those thoughts into a more positive way is the overarching goal of cognitive reframing. Providing examples and personal experiences of how I utilize this concept in my life will display how powerful cognitive reframing can be if implemented. Adapting this model reduces stress but it personally has been a coping strategy. Retraining my mind to look at things in a more positive manner has improved my overall mental health – which is what I hope to accomplish in this group.

Implementation:

Assess the needs on campus by conducting a survey that asks questions about mental health and get the students input on developing a group tailored specifically for us – led by us. After conversing with faculty on the Lancaster campus, I would provide them each with copies of the surveys and a submission box. Ideally, they could distribute the surveys before or after their classes and allow me to collect them afterwards. This method would provide an accurate representation for the student population pursuing various degrees.
After weighing the benefits versus risks, I would meet would the campus Dean to present my idea and ask for his input. I would convey the message so that he understands how 75% of students do not receive help for their mental health problems students (Mental Health Guide, 2018).
The pilot program would be conducted with the junior nursing students to evaluate their feelings towards the program and how it can be improved before releasing it to the campus. Having the counselor be the mediator within the environment would benefit the entire group being that she is an expert in how to professionally approach these situations. She can also provide the group with additional coping strategies, community resources, and vital information on how to maintain mental wellness throughout college. Her expertise will benefit the group by her being able to initiate appropriate conversations and interventions to promote improved outcomes for the group. I chose the junior nursing students because they are more susceptible to stress being that there is a higher likelihood of them not progressing into second semester. During the first semester the students are being introduced to the more difficult ‘nursing style questions’ which can become frustrating. It takes time and continued effort to improve on answering these types of questions. If they do not maintain a 75 average, they will not progress and will have to wait another year before reapplying to the program. I would initiate meetings that included conversations, coping strategies, games, and exercise – all aimed at promoting mental wellbeing.
I would like for the group to function like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) utilizing the concept of democratic leadership. Anonymity will be important as I believe more students will participate and be willing to share their feelings. The world can be very judgmental and I want students to be engaged without fear of their personal information being shared with outsiders. The concept of democratic leadership is important for this group because it allows everyone to have a voice in the decisions of the group as well as the topics we discuss.
After completing the trial (1 month of weekly meetings) I would like for myself and the counselor to meet with the students individually to determine if it is helping them, if they have any concerns or if there are ways for me to improve this group. If the counselor feels that there are circumstances that are inappropriate for me to be involved in, I will remove myself to ensure the students privacy. I will continue to advocate for all students on campus to ensure they have the resources necessary to be successful.
Once I have discussed the concerns with the counselor, I would like to establish this group on campus. I’d place flyers throughout campus and ask professors to mention this opportunity to students during class. I think this would be a successful group for students especially if I can expand to having 2-3 meetings per week to better incorporate times when students are on campus.

Evaluation:

This plan would be considered successful by the number of students that attend the meetings. I would create a survey that asks students to rate their overall experience and if this program is benefiting them. I would initially like to see a 50% of the students say they are benefiting from these meetings. I understand that some people are more reluctant to open up about their depression or anxiety and would initiate an anonymous referral if I felt it was indicated for specific students throughout the meetings.

References

Burwell, S. M. (2018). Generation Stress: The Mental Health Crisis on Campus. Foreign Affairs, 97(6), 150–157. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=132341938&site=eds-live

Mental Health Guide. (2018). Retrieved from https://collegestats.org/resources/mental-health-guide/