College Student Mental Health and Wellness

Catalog description

Have you ever wanted to learn more about yourself, your friends, your roommates, or other people in college? If so, then this course is for you. In this class, we will explore factors that affect the mental health and wellbeing of college students, including sleep, substance use, social anxiety, discrimination, academic stress, the campus climate, resilience, peer relationships, values, and suicide. The course will address both how to prevent problems from developing as well as interventions for improving college students¿ mental health and wellbeing. We will use lectures, guest speakers, films, discussion, and weekly readings to learn about college students and their mental health. The class will be especially relevant to your career if you are considering a mental health profession (e.g., psychology, counseling, social work, rehabilitation), but it will appeal to students in any major who are interested in learning more about college students¿ mental health, including their own. Cultural factors that affect college students¿ well-being will be considered throughout the course. Culture will be defined broadly to include ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, gender, class, ability, race, and age. Students will be encouraged to think critically about course material through the lenses of their own lived experiences and worldviews. Prevalence, characteristics, causes, implications, prevention, and treatment of common mental health conditions among college students will be addressed, as well as campus resources for addressing such conditions. The course also will focus on factors that promote the psychological well-being of college students, such as friendships, identity, romantic relationships, meaning, and career preparation. The primary goal for the course is that you deepen your understanding of psychological wellness and mental health problems commonly faced by college students. A secondary aim is for you to learn about yourself so that you can optimize your psychological well-being, prevent mental health problems from developing, recognize when you or a friend might need help, improve the wellness of campus communities to which you belong, and become familiar with local resources that can provide assistance.