USU to Participate in World Mental Health Day with Multiple Activities and Discussions

Utah State University will celebrate World Mental Health Day on Monday, Oct. 11, joining millions of people around the world in recognizing the event. The Office of Human Resources has partnered with Campus Recreation in the university’s participation in several events.

“We hope you will join us in support of World Mental Health Day,” said Lisa Leishman, associate director of Human Resources. “Approximately 47 million American adults, nearly one in five, are experiencing some sort of mental health illness, and the Aggie family is not immune. Several activities have been planned for employees and students, and we encourage everyone to participate in some way.”

Beginning at 7:30 a.m. and concluding with a keynote address in the evening, events take place throughout the day. Although most activities take place on USU’s Logan campus, all activities may be attended virtually from any location. Prizes will be awarded throughout the day to participants. All are encouraged to wear lime green and to post their participation photos on Instagram and Facebook with the tag #usuaggiesthrive.

The event calendar is highlighted by the keynote address that will be delivered by former Aggie basketball player and NBA recruit Jalen Moore, who will share his personal struggle with mental health and the toughest phone call of his life. USU President Noelle E. Cockett will then provide remarks. The keynote address will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Eccles Conference Center and will also be streamed online.

The day’s festivities will begin at 7:30 a.m. with the first USU World Mental Health Day 5K run, starting at the Aggie Legacy Fields. It will be part of several physical activities throughout the day, including Yoga on the Quad, Aggies Thrive Walk and HIGH Fitness on the Quad (a mix of old school aerobics and modern fitness moves set to music). Those off campus who want to participate can do activities on their own and post participation photos with the hashtag #usuaggiesthrive. In case of inclement weather, Yoga and on the Quad and HIGH Fitness on the Quad will be moved indoors, and details will be posted online.

There will also be plenty of other positive mental health events, including a laughing seminar, petting animals on the Quad, an online gaming group, as well as an employee scavenger hunt.

Plenty of discussions will also be held, including a discussion on building spiritual wellness through connections, a nutrition presentation and detecting disordered eating and CAPS workshops on mindful self-compassion and a self-care toolkit. All these discussions will be available on Zoom.

According to research, approximately one in five Americans suffers from some form of mental illness. Worldwide, more than 800,000 people die by suicide every year, which equates to about one person every 40 seconds. In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death.

A full list of events, as well as Zoom links for online events, can be found visiting https://wmhd.usu.edu. Mental health resources for students can be found at www.usu.edu/aggiewellness/mental-health and for employees at Aggies Thrive.