University resources on display during Suicide Awareness Month

By Avery Slavin 

News Editor 

In recognition of Suicide Awareness Month, the University is providing additional support to the campus community through the Health Center and SEALS. 

SEALS Peer Health Educators are certified in mental health first aid and trained to recognize the signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health. 

The SEALS student workers host tables on campus, typically in the McCarthy Center, rasing awareness about different areas of well-being such as sexual heath, mental health, and healthy drinking habits.   

They specialize in finding calm in the chaos of college life, with events ranging from guided meditation on Thursdays to one-mile walks every Wednesday. 

Pam Lehmberg, director of well-being and prevention, said these opportunities are “low-pressure ways for students to take a break, manage stress, and focus on their well-being.”

The Wellness and Prevention Center, located in the back of Foster Hall, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Annika Bethge-Haynl, a SEALS Peer Health Educator, said recognizing Suicide Prevention Month is important to “reduce the stigma associated with mental health and can help students become more informed on how to help another person who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts. Mental illnesses, especially suicidal behavior, should not be overlooked or disregarded.”

Lehmberg said FSU students have access to Togetherall, an anonymous, always available, online peer-support community. 

According to Lehmberg, after signing up with your student email to access it, you receive an anonymous username without your identity being revealed. While it is peer-to-peer, mental health professionals monitor the conversations for safety, Lehmberg said. 

Staff members who work in Wellness and Prevention, collaboratively with the Health and Counseling Centers, host their largest suicide prevention event each April called Fresh Check Day. 

Lehmberg said the campus-wide event is a “mental health promotion and suicide prevention fair designed to help students connect, learn about resources, how to help one another, and recognize that they are not alone.” 

She added their goal is to “make it easier for students to find resources, build healthy connections, and recognize that asking for help is a normal and important part of taking care of themselves. Asking for help can be a sign of strength.”

The Framingham State athletes have also taken a stand against the negative attitudes and beliefs concerning mental health with a newfound chapter of the Morgan’s Message initiative. 

Morgan’s Message is a nonprofit organization focused on destigmatizing mental health struggles in athletes specifically, recognizing the culture of pushing through pain when it comes to sports.

According to the website, Morgan’s Message “aims to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone.”

Jillian Meeker and Mikayla Malmquist - president and vice president of the club, respectively - are Morgan’s Message ambassadors themselves, along with other club officers Ashley Malmquist, Madison Bailey, and Kaitlyn Tello.

“As a group, we all understand the struggles of mental health and want to help others. Morgan’s Message works to promote a better culture surrounding mental health in sports, which is a change that needs to happen,” Meeker said.

For Meeker, the initiative hits close to home. She said people don’t always realize how much mental health is affected by sports. 

“Truthfully, most athletes I know have struggled mentally one way or another, whether it was related to their sport or not. Being able to talk about your struggles without the stigma can make you feel much less alone,” she said.

The FSU field hockey team hosted their inaugural game in honor of the Morgan’s Message initiative on Sept. 22. 

Bethge-Haynl said, “Even though we can’t change anyone’s past experiences, we can acknowledge what they went through or are going through and give them support moving forward.”