OSU students embrace Wellness Event, a collaboration of campus psych organizations

When the top psychology organizations on campus collaborate to educate the public, the result is Oregon State University's inaugural Wellness Event.

Advocates from Psi Chi, Active Minds, CAPS and other well-being clubs gathered Friday at the Memorial Union quad to educate students on the resources available to them on campus. Club members chatted with students as they handed out candy, flyers and advice from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Stationed by every tent were motivational posters, such as the psychology club's "Get it off your chest," on which students could write down a concern in their life and stick it to the board.

In attendance was Andrey Morozov, psychology club president and a junior studying pre-dentistry. One goal of the Wellness Event, Morozov said, is to raise awareness on mental illnesses.

"Our intention is to really reach out to the community -- people who don't know much about psychology or mental health," Morozov said.

Club members passed out plenty of advice with their candies and fliers, one of which is the available resources on campus, such as the psychology club.

"(The club is) focused on providing opportunities for students to have experiences related to psychology outside of the classroom," Morozov said. "We felt that the opportunities we had outside of the classroom were limited."

Organizations similar to the psychology club have come and gone in previous years. As president, Morozov plans to do things differently.

"One of my mission statements as president is for this club to stay around and be integrated in the OSU community," Morozov said.

He encourages students to attend their bi-weekly meetings at Milam 123, Wednesdays at 6 p.m. More information can be found on the OSU psychology club website.

Most participants at the event, such as Cassie Colton, president of Psi Chi and a senior studying psychology and innovation management, came out to deliver a personal message: "You're not alone."

"Sometimes you feel like you're the only person with this problem, but you're not," Colton said.

The organizations want to reach as many students as possible, which is why they chose the MU quad.

"Our overall vision is to inspire every student," Colton said. "We realize it's pretty lofty, but we feel like we have the ability."

Colton and the members of Psi Chi emphasize that, while their club is psychology-oriented, they do not serve to help just students within the psych field. Their support and resources are a broad scope that reaches every student at OSU.

Last year, OSU students participated in a study led by Counseling and Psychological Services called the Healthy Minds study.

Of the 2,499 participants, 11 percent currently suffered from depression, and 15 percent suffered from anxiety disorders. Of the group, 24 percent had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Respondents who screened positively with a disorder had lower GPAs.

The findings show that mental health disorders are prevalent enough to be an issue, said Dave Downing, the president of Active Minds. This is a great concern to Downing, partly in lieu of the stigma attached to health issues.

"People with mental health issues is a socially disadvantaged group," Downing said.

Active Minds created a thumbprint board to help alleviate stigmas. Students suffering from mental health illnesses marked the board with a painted thumbprint. The board illustrates community by showing these problems are common among all students.

Downing participated in the Wellness Event, one of many on campus to raise awareness, to break stigmas and help those in need. The OSU student body embraced the event, and they hope to return next year with the same message, but a stronger impact.

"We really didn't know what would happen, but it seems pretty successful," Morozov said. "Maybe we can make it an annual thing."

Ria Rankine

Greek and clubs reporter

managing@dailybarometer.com