Mental Health in Harvard Students
A poster series designed to address mental health stigma and to motivate college U.S. students to get help when overstressed or overwhelmed.
Artist
Erin Hamlin (2022)
Caption
Research has shown that the two most common reasons for not seeking mental health services among college students with depression were the belief that stress is expected in school and the lack of perceived need for help. A survey of college students during the COVID pandemic showed that students were less likely to admit to suicidal thoughts or harming themselves if they attended a college where their peers had a high stigma toward mental health problems and treatment. This survey also showed that in places where students' peers stigmatize mental health treatment, students do not even want to acknowledge their mental health struggles. Students will be more receptive to anonymous resources if a large part of why they are not seeking help is perceived stigma from their peers.
Artist Lens
I created a series of posters intended to be placed around college campuses to motivate students to get help if they are overwhelmed, overstressed, or are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness. The intended audience is U.S. college and university students. I added a QR code on each poster that leads students to a curated page of anonymous resources that they can use to find multiple forms of help (the QR code works, scan it to see the resources I compiled!). The resources page includes recommendations for stress relief apps, information on anxiety and depression in college students, anonymous mental health screenings, and hotlines to call if they need more immediate help. In creating designs for the posters, I focused on anonymous treatment options and statistics because many studies have shown that a critical barrier to seeking professional help among college students is the stigma toward mental illness and treatment. I hope these posters can help change students' attitudes toward mental health treatment. I hope seeing these posters will help students realize that high levels of depression and stress are not typical, and many other college students are going through the same issues. Finding ways for students to get help despite the stigma surrounding mental illness is a critical first step in improving mental health issues on college campuses.
Media
Digital