Mental Health Awareness Campaign

In Winter 2006, Rackham began the Health and Wellness Initiative by launching the Mental Health Awareness Campaign. There were several components to the campaign including:

  • A letter from the Dean to students:
    Dean Weiss kicked off the Mental Health Awareness Campaign with a letter to all students explaining the purpose of our activities. At the end of the academic year in Winter 2006, Dean Weiss reported back to the students on the outcome of our efforts.
  • A survey of Health and Wellness topics:
    In February 2006, a survey was sent out to 5,000 graduate and professional school students. The survey covered six dimensions of wellness: physical, psychological, spiritual/philosophical, social, intellectual, and vocational. Over 1,000 students responded to the survey. View a summary of survey results.
  • A “got stress?” brochure:
    Rackham developed a brochure, in collaboration with Daniel Eisenberg, Assistant Professor of Health Management and Policy at the School of Public Health and author of the UM Healthy Minds Study, to help normalize feelings of stress and reduce the stigma of talking to someone about concerns. A pdf of the brochure is available online. To order a copy of the brochure contact Natalie Bartolacci at (734) 674-2640.
  • A map to campus and community resources:
    The “got stress?” brochure also includes a map of counseling/treatment and support/referral resources. A pdf version is available on our website.
  • A new Mental Health Resources section of the Rackham website:
    In the spring of 2006, Rackham launched a new section of its website entitled Mental Health Resources, which includes information about counseling and support,what to expect when making an appointment for counseling, and how to support others.
  • A faculty and staff seminar and a public event with Sylvia Nasar:
    Sylvia Nasar, author of the best-selling book A Beautiful Mind, visited UM’s campus for a seminar and public lecture. Prior to the public lecture, Dr. Nasar participated in a seminar with an interdisciplinary group of 40 administrators, faculty, staff, and students to discuss mental health topics of interest to our university community.