UVU’s Mental Health Task Force is using a mixture of formal assessments and uplifting social media campaigns to ensure that the mental health of UVU’s student body is cared for during this time of change.
Virtual classrooms, socially-distanced activities, and cancelled athletic events are not the typical start to a UVU school year, and the changes due to COVID-19 have had a strong impact on students’ mental health. UVU’s Mental Health Task Force is using a mixture of formal assessments and uplifting social media campaigns to ensure that the mental health of UVU’s student body is cared for during this time of change.
“We need to address students’ mental health as a basic need,” said Dean of Students Alexis Palmer. “Mental health struggles during this pandemic are impacting our society on many different levels, and UVU is not immune to this.”
In 2019 UVU participated in the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) and found that stress, anxiety, and depression were the top three mental health concerns reported by UVU students. Since the start of COVID-19, the NCHA has found that cases surrounding these three issues have risen among college-aged students.
To support mental health, UVU has partnered with the JED Foundation, a nonprofit that protects the emotional health of young adults and works to prevent suicides.
“Partnering with the JED Foundation provides us an opportunity to participate in a multi-year strategic collaboration which includes everything from in-depth assessments to systematic changes within the campus community,” Palmer said.
While these assessments and program adjustments will strengthen available mental health services, Student Life is also working to provide an uplifting opportunity for students, staff, and faculty this fall by launching the Check Five Challenge social media campaign. To encourage communication and support among the UVU community, Wolverines are given the task to be united while apart by:
Weekly conversation starters are being shared to UVU Student Life’s Instagram handle @uvustudentlife, and all are welcome to participate in the challenge.
“UVU strives to provide exceptional care to all those in our collegiate community, particularly our students,” Palmer said. “We’re facing unprecedented times due to COVID-19, and we want to make sure that our students receive the mental health support they need to navigate through it all.”
