by Rachel Spitzer
At the end of November last semester, Haverford’s chapter of Active Minds hosted its first Days without Stigma event to promote mental health awareness. We collected data about perceptions of mental health on campus, common questions, and use of resources. Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by our table to share their thoughts and show support for those struggling with mental health! Here’s a recap of our results, in picture form!
How would you describe your experience with mental health in one word?
Responses to Our Student Survey
What do you wish others knew about your mental health/illness experience?
- It’s part of my life and makes it hard, but it helps me know myself better.
- That it manifests very physically. It tires my body out as the flu would. It’s even worse because it eats away at your mental and psychological state.
- I wish I could feel more supported
- That it’s okay to not have great days!
- I wish people knew that mental health and access to resources changes based on people’s backgrounds (like their race and socioeconomic backgrounds) so it can be really frustrating when people make broad generalizations about mental health.
What level of mental health stigma do you experience at Haverford?
Where should we make improvements to mental health culture at Haverford?