Arizona State University students advocated for young adults dealing with mental illness during

World Mental Health Day on Saturday.

World Mental Health Day was created in order to spread awareness of mental health issues and
to help support anyone dealing with mental illness.

Amina Aden, a doctoral student from Arizona State University’s psychiatric nurse practitioner
program, spoke about the importance of World Mental Health Day.

“World Mental Health Day is very important because it’s a time to expand on mental health
conditions, advocate for those with mental illness, and help reduce the stigma surrounding
mental health,” Aden said over email.

According to Aden’s research, 26% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are dealing
with mental illness.

There has also been an increase in mental health symptoms of young adults due to the COVID-
19 pandemic.

According to the World Mental Health Organization, the added challenges of COVID-19 make it
more difficult for under-resourced mental health services to help people in need.

Aden shared her thoughts about why the COVID-19 pandemic has had such a negative influence
on college students.

“I believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has only added to the stress faced by many students,”
said Aden. “This pandemic has prompted students to adjust to many new learning changes such
as online learning, reduced social interactions, and increased isolation.”

Although there have been many challenges regarding mental health this year, Aden discussed
the many ways that young adults can improve their mental health. This includes exercising,
getting enough hours of sleep, and continuing healthy hygienic practices.

“Additional steps to improve mental health consist of eating healthy foods that are nutritious,
reaching out to friends or family, journaling, and taking time to laugh,” said Aden.

The World Mental Health Organization also hosted multiple virtual events on World Mental
Health Day in order to let anyone struggling with mental illness know that they are not alone.

Some of the major events included The Big Event for Mental Health broadcast, United for
Global Mental Health fundraisers and campaigns, The Global Mental Health Fest hosting
livestream discussions to the public, and the world’s first virtual march for mental health.
Despite social distancing orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still plenty of ways
that young adults can reach out if they are struggling with their mental health.

Arizona State University is home to Active Minds, a student organization that hosts virtual
meetings on Zoom every Tuesday. Active Minds holds discussions where students can talk
about their mental health with other students who are dealing with similar situations.

Gregory Carnesi, a representative from Active Minds at Arizona State University, spoke about
the organization’s mission.

“Active Minds at ASU serves as a resource for students to engage with mental health topics in a
safe and comfortable manner,” Carnesi said. “We also serve as a means for students to connect
with one another, and we like to encourage community within our club.”

According to a survey taken by Active Minds, 75% of students reported that their mental health
has worsened due to the COVID-10 pandemic. However, 66.89% of students said that there was
an overall increase with students helping each other with improving each other’s mental
wellness.

Although many college students have been struggling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the
survey concluded that about 78% of students are still optimistic about the future.

Sources:

Article: https://www.who.int/news/item/07-10-2020-global-challenge-for-movement-on-
mental-health-kicks-off-as-lack-of-investment-in-mental-health-leaves-millions-without-access-
to-services

Active Minds Survey Results:

https://www.activeminds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Student-Mental-Health-Data-
Sheet-Fall-2020-1.pdf