Students breezed in and out of Collis Common Ground, meditating, finger painting and playing with therapy dogs at a mental health fair on Wednesday. The fair, attended by over 400 students, offered free depression and mental health screenings as well as meetings with counselors and nutritionists.
Counseling and human development counselor Arlene Vélez-Galán said that 288 students filled out depression screening forms and spoke on-on-one with a counselor.
The office hosted the event to popularize its services to any student concerned for his or her own mental health, or that of a peer, Vélez-Galán said.
“What I really like about Mental Health Fair Day is that it helps students learn different ways how to take care of themselves,” counseling and human development director Heather Earle said.
Event organizers in matching T-shirts directed students to various stations offered. Some opted for the private meditation room with aromatherapy, music and sunlamps. Others headed for student organization tables.
Co-sponsoring organizations, including Active Minds, Dartmouth on Purpose, the Pan-Asian Wellness Initiative and the student Mindfulness Practice Group, hosted different activities during the fair.
Active Minds oversaw a finger painting table that let students “go back to their kindergarten roots,” Active Minds member Jake Donehey ’17 said.
The Pan-Asian Council hosted a table for students to color mandala designs. Tibetan monks create mandalas with colored sand as a form of meditation, working to attain a degree of mental tranquility, Pan-Asian Council member Michelle Shu ’14 said.
Dartmouth on Purpose presented a community art project called “The Gratitude Board,” on which students could write or draw about what made them thankful.
Maria Sperduto ’14, one of the group’s founders, said Dartmouth on Purpose tries to help students thrive in a way that works for them as individuals.
“What we think could be focused on more is mental fitness, keeping your mood up, not running yourself to the ground and being grateful,” Sperduto said.
Attendee Alisa White ’17 said she appreciated Dartmouth on Purpose’s efforts to promote mindfulness on campus.
Though White did not plan to attend the mental health fair, she said she was attracted by the activities offered.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness states on its website that over 40 percent of students report they feel more stress than an average amount, and 40 percent of college-age students with diagnosable mental health conditions do not seek help, most often due to concerns about stigma.
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that many college students with depression do not know where to go for help or if treatment would work. Aside from fear of judgment from others, students often attribute symptoms to the “typical stress” of college life.
Doug Phipps ’17, who attended the fair, said the event provided a break for students.
“People get so caught up in their schoolwork and extracurriculars that they can forget to take a moment and step back and really live their lives,” Phipps said.
