PSYDEKICK: EDUCATING AND CONNECTING STUDENTS TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES THROUGH PEER EDUCATION

Abstract

Wicked problems are “social or cultural problems that are difficult or impossible to solve”1. A wicked problem in our day and age, is the growing mental health crisis in young adults. In a 2020 study conducted by The Jed Foundation stated, “A high proportion of students are dealing with anxiety (82%), followed by social isolation/loneliness (68%), depression (63%), trouble concentrating (62%), and difficulty coping with stress in a healthy way (60%)”2. With so much research on the growing mental health crisis in college age students, PsydeKick mental health student organization was created. Through ideation the organization took an education and advocacy approach and partnered with East Carolina University’s Counseling Center. The organization understood a focus on mental health was too large of a task to undertake and settled on a focus of the six key issues determined by students through research interviews. The six key focus areas were: anxiety, depression, stress management, substance abuse, suicide prevention and eating disorders. The organization came into existence with an original executive board of 4 individuals established for the duration of a year and continued for another year after the originals group involvement. PsydeKick’s platform was to focus on being outreach for the counseling center to share coping mechanisms and information about mental health and the resources available to students on and off campus. Once approved the organization began recruiting members along with organizing times to interact with the school population and coordinating next steps with the university. PsydeKick continued on-campus for a year past the project completion.