A student organization is reminding students to look after more than just their physical health.
Awareness Wellness Ambassadors Reaching Everyone (AWARE), a peer-to-peer ambassador program for UF’s Counseling and Wellness Center, seeks to promote mental health and reduce the stigma of seeking help, said Collin Vernay, AWARE coordinator and involvement undergraduate intern.
The program continually strives to reach more students and target populations, especially groups that are at risk for mental health issues, he said.
This year, AWARE will implement more original events aimed at empowering people to live healthier mental lifestyles.
“One of the problems we face is there is a high demand for the Wellness Center, but there are only so many resources,” Vernay, a 21-year-old UF psychology and sociology senior, said. “We want to lead people in living mindfully and building up the protective factors that reduce the likelihood of mental health issues developing in the first place.”
The lack of understanding about mental health creates a bad name around it, said Madeline Bieda, a 20-year-old UF psychology junior.
“If people viewed mental disorders for what they really are, which are diseases as real as anything from cancer to the common cold, they wouldn’t stigmatize people who have them so much,” she said.
Co-founder of AWARE and UF alumna Shari Godwin, 22, said bringing the conversation about mental health issues to a relatable level is key to reducing the stigma.
The center provides services and hotlines for students with personal mental health concerns, as well as those with concerns for their friends, she said.
AWARE is recruiting members through Sept. 9, and applications are live on its web page at counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/aware.aspx.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 8/27/2014 under the headline "AWARE fights mental health stigma "]
