In the spring of 2021, 67% of the UO student body was estimated to be “experiencing symptoms of at least one significant mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-injury or eating disorders,” according toUO Counseling Services. The mental health of college students is a pressing issue today across the nation, especially as campus communities continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As this May is Mental Health Awareness Month nationwide, the University of Oregon has events lined up for students, aimed to destigmatize mental health issues and to spark much-needed conversations.
On May 24, UO’s Duck Nest Wellness Center will be hosting the annual Mental Health Art Show. The theme for this year is “Healing with Nature and Being in The Outdoors,” centering on students’ interpretations through various art styles, ranging from poetry to paintings.
The Duck Nest also encouraged students to submit virtual art forms to accommodate all students that wanted to share, from films to original recorded songs. Blake Nelson, peer wellness coordinator at the Duck Nest, discussed more about prioritizing accessibility when planning the event.
“We were wanting to be cognizant that everybody’s pace, when it comes to reacclimating themselves on-campus, is going to be very different,” Nelson said. “It was very important for us to be able to give everybody the option, including those who may not have the emotional energy to do an in person art show.”
As the chaoticness of college life starts picking up towards the end of spring term, it’s important that UO students have a safe space to express their feelings surrounding mental health.
“Any art or discussion about mental health in general is very important because it lets people who may not have the bandwidth to really talk about it or start exploring that aspect of themselves yet to know that it’s allowed, valid and accepted for them to do so, and that it looks different for everybody,” Nelson said.
Peer wellness coordinator Ava Hearn expressed that it is more difficult for students to focus on or maintain their mental health as the college environment is ingrained with a fast paced “grind culture.”
This “grind culture” mindset centralizes one’s work or career over self care and one’s physical and mental health, and it isn’t healthy.
“I think that there’s been more of a movement recently to discuss mental health on college campuses. But I think for as much as we’re pushing this grind culture, then we need to also be discussing mental health because it’s so pertinent to academic success as well,” Hearn said. “We’re here to push people to slow down, and to think about their well being as much as they’re thinking about all the other things that are going on in their life.”
The Mental Health Art Show will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on May 24 in the Lease Crutcher Lewis Room at the Erb Memorial Union, and is free for attendees. Hearn added that they plan to feature some of the art on the Duck Nest Instagram for those who can’t attend and possibly hang some of the art in the UO Counseling Center.
“As a campus community, I feel like our power when it comes to mental health is being able to support each other when we can’t necessarily support ourselves,” Nelson said. “I really like that aspect of being able to help bring other people up and being able to help forward the conversation in productive ways.”
To find more information about the Mental Health Art Show and resources provided by the Duck Nest, check out their Instagram @uo_ducknest, or the Duck Nest’s location in the Erb Memorial Union.
