What those green flags mean: UO raises awareness for mental health
It’s important to reduce the stigma surrounding those with mental illnesses
University of Oregon students gathered Sunday morning to spread a message that is on a mission to bring resources to students.
The green flags found around campus.
These green flags, currently outside of Straub and the Rec Center, were placed by students of the Student Mental Health Advocate (SMHA) to bring awareness to mental health as part of their plan to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illnesses and mental health issues.
Students were asked to answer the following question and write their message on a flag:
Students were allowed to take any flag not written on and write a note to those who may be contemplating suicide.
Here are some of the messages that students wrote:
Jenny Shen, the next president of SMHA has a special passion for this event.
She said: “There is a stigma surrounding mental health. We want to raise awareness that this is a prevalent problem on campus. We really wish to get the word out there and ensure people know they’re not alone.
“It’s a way to let people out there know we care”.
It’s also important for students to know resources exist on campus.
“It’s important to create conversation around mental health and know where to get resources. Self care is really important,” Jenny added.
Jenny Shen, the next president of SMHA
The purpose of SMHA is to help students dealing with mental illnesses connected to the correct resources. One of these resources Shen discussed was the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on campus that SMHA is partnered with. This organization helps create a peer support group and a safe spaces to discuss mental health.
Jenny said: “We wanted to encourage those to look for a safe and comfortable peer support group to talk about mental health and NAMI is a good place to do that”.
Other resources around campus include the University Health Center, University Counseling Center and the suicide hotline. These are all good resources for those seeking help when taking care of their mental health.
The surprising statistic about mental health was on one of their signs: “More than half of college students have suicidal thoughts.”
This statistic alone shows how necessary it is for SMHA and NAMI to be on campus. I am thankful for these saints who have chosen to stand beside and stand up for students dealing with their own mental health issues. If you are dealing with mental health issues you can seek out these organizations on campus or contact the 24 hours University Counseling Testing Center: 541-346-3227.