Mental Health
Our goal
- Improve mental health among Western Michigan University students
Our objectives
- Increase utilization of mental health resources
- Increase resiliency
Our measures
- Increase the proportion of students who indicate receiving treatment within the last 12 months if diagnosed with depression from 87 percent (2011) to 90 percent (2020)
- Increase the proportion of students who indicate receiving treatment within the last 12 months if diagnosed with anxiety from 77 percent (2015) to 85 percent (2020)
- Improve access to Counseling Services at Sindecuse Health Center by increasing the proportion of students that came in for an intake/crisis appointment and were seen that day to 93 percent (2020)
- Reduce the proportion of students who indicate that their academic performance was adversely affected by stress in the last 12 months from 31 percent (2011) to 25 percent (2020)
- Increase the number of students who participate in program on healthy coping skills (assessment plan is in development)
What we are doing about it
Completed action steps:
- Evaluated and improved the process and outcomes regarding student concern form submissions
- Implemented mental health presentations for First Year Experience Seminar courses
- Adjusted scheduling practices for individual and group counseling to be more student-centered
- Launched Mental Health First Aid training facilitated by Kalamazoo County Mental Health
Current action steps:
- Partnering with Success at WMU and JED Campus Initiative
- Piloting gatekeeper training for faculty, staff, and students
Notes
More details are available in the WMU HC2020 Student Mental Health Action Plan
WMU is implementing many more strategies that impact mental health than are listed here. The Healthy Campus 2020 committee recommends priority, collaborative efforts for WMU. Some strategies are targeted and others are universal–designed to impact several of our HC2020 goals and objectives, not just the one they align with on the action plan.
ACHA-National College Health Assessment II is the primary data source informing this HC2020 initiative. Additional data is also being monitored and utilized for strategic planning and assessment with BeHealthyWMU.