The importance of peer education to the mental well-being of college students
College may be viewed as a time for students to sit back and let loose, but for
many it can be a stressful and rough transition. According to a 2007 survey by
the American College Health Association, 45 percent of college students report
feeling so depressed at some point in time that they had trouble functioning.
When left untreated, depression can have devastating consequences. According to
the American Psychiatric Association, suicide is the third leading cause of
death for those aged 15-24 and the second leading cause of death of college
students.
Fortunately, the emotional crises that so often precede suicide are both
recognizable and treatable, and peer education programs can play a key role in
encouraging students to recognize the symptoms of depression and seek help
before it’s too late.
Peer education is a strategy, tool, or communication channel used by people of
similar ages, backgrounds, and interests, to communicate messages
[1].
Research suggests that people are more likely to hear and personalize messages,
and thus change their attitudes and behaviors, if they believe the messenger is
similar to them and faces the same concerns and pressures
[2].
For college students, peers are most often identified as those who sit next to
one another in class, live with each other in the dorms, and participate in the
same activities on campus.
“Peer education is effective in encouraging students to seek help. When students
see other students, their peers, talking openly about issues of mental health
and their own experiences, the notion of seeking help is normalized with a
feeling that it’s really okay to seek help,” said Alison K. Malmon, Founder and
Executive Director of Active Minds, Inc.
“No one wants to feel like they’re the only one. To know that others are out
there and out talking makes mental health issues seem to be not that big a deal
at all, which encourages students to get the help they need,” Malmon said.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, Active Minds has campus-based chapters on
college and university campuses across North America. Chapters are made up of
student leaders and staff volunteers who work diligently to raise awareness and
promote mental health through the implementation of turn-key programs that
decrease stigma and create a positive and accepting environment for the
discussion of mental health issues.
By letting students do the outreach, Active Minds chapters not only capitalize
on the role of peers, but also lessen the demand on counseling centers. As
liaisons between their peers, college counseling centers, and the mental health
community, student members of Active Minds provide information about available
resources on-campus, online and in the community; educate students about mental
health and mental illnesses; host events to raise awareness; and encourage
students to seek help. To learn more about Active Minds click
here.
Some of the advantages of peer education programs
[3]:
-
Peer programs build on evidence that young people already get a great deal of
information from their peers.
-
Young people relate well to people similar to them in age, background, and
interests.
-
The cultural similarity of peer promoters helps ensure that the language and
messages used are relevant and appropriate.
-
Peer-led programs can change social and community norms to support
risk-reducing behavior.
-
Peer programs allow for the direct involvement of young people in their own
programs.
Interested in holding an in-person event on National Alcohol Screening Day,
April 9th? To receive your materials before the 9th,
please contact our office.
For further information regarding the NASD program or if you are already
registered and need help promoting your event, please contact the College Response
team at: 781-239-0071 or college@mentalhealthscreening.org.