Mental Health and Wellbeing

Presentation Location

VSU University Center, Magnolia Room 1

Document Type

Event

Start Date

11-3-2023 8:30 AM

End Date

11-3-2023 10:00 AM

Description

Mental Health and Wellbeing (Anne Price, Session Chair)

  • Shelly Yankovskyy and Anne Price. (Valdosta State University) The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health in South Georgia.
    Mental health is a current hot topic among academics and policymakers, especially relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. The continued rise in mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, suicide, opioid overdose, youth depression, and so forth are especially concerning. In Georgia new programs and policies have been put in place to address and support mental health at various institutional levels, such as the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act which took effect in July 2022. However, the focus on mental health and well-being can also be a distraction from systemic issues that strain mental health, making a societal problem into a personal one. While we agree that mental health issues are a major societal concern and need to be addressed, we also recognize that the emotional and mental distress that people are experiencing are often very normal responses to real social problems. In this interdisciplinary study, we examine mental health challenges and responses at multiple institutional levels. We are especially focusing on the region of South Georgia, and include perspectives from law enforcement, mental health providers, university administrators, faculty and students.
  • Ieasa Custer. (Christopher Newport University). Prioritizing Long Distance Hiking: The Appalachian Trail as a Form of Self-Care.
    This study examines those who choose to long distance hike the Appalachian Trail as a means of self-care. Many people use outdoor activities as a form of mental health aid and this is taken a step further when deciding to embark on a long distance trek. To translate this form of self-care to more accessible versions this research was driven by the question why do people prioritize long distance hiking the Appalachian Trail as a form of self-care. All of the data utilized to corroborate these findings was collected in regard to the Appalachian Long Distance Hiker Association Gathering in western Massachusetts. At the Gathering over 20 hours of ethnographic data was collected through interviews and observations of the setting. Three main themes that cause people to prioritize long distance hiking as their outlet for improving mental health were identified. The first of which being the sense of community, the second being the confidence that self-reliance inspires, and lastly the liberation from ridding themselves of materialistic desires and social positionings.
  • Nicole Woolridge. (Valdosta State University) On-Campus Greenspaces, Student Mental Health, and Landscape Genetics.
    Greenspace use, especially in conjunction with other mental health therapies, has the potential to improve student success by reducing the prevalence of mental health issues among college students today. In the spring of 2022 and 2023, qualitative research was carried out on a campus in South Georgia to determine whether greenspaces were being utilized and the self-reported impact on mental health. Students over the age of 18 participated in in-person interviews and online surveys. Questions asked students how they spend their free time, how often they visit campus greenspaces, and whether there was a difference between before and after COVID. The majority of students did make frequent use of the greenspaces, and they found that the greenspaces on campus helped improve their mental health. The author’s interests in anthropology and biology served as the motivation for this investigation. The relevance of landscape genetics, the study of landscape ecology and population genetics, and the outcomes of interactions between humans and greenspaces will all be taken into consideration as the author continues to build on this research by replotting trees and measuring width growths with devices such as GPS. Prior data will also be used to compare tree inventory growth and loss for this campus compared to another Georgia university.
  • Drew Campbell. (Valdosta State University). Sociocultural Barriers to Mental Health in Law Enforcement.
    This research is intended to examine the cultural landscape of Law Enforcement as it has developed in historical context as a profession as well as the experienced landscape of officers. Examining the implications of sociological theory when applied to law enforcement as an institutional and personal phenomenon in the lives of law enforcement officers, one observes that numerous factors must be considered when navigating the world of public safety personnel, especially when addressing or examining mental health. This research is tempered by the lived experience of the author in the field of law enforcement as an officer and administrator of policy. Classical theories are applied here to understand the considerations necessary to conduct effective and reliable research in the realm of law enforcement with the perspective of the social sciences. Incentive exists to proscribe individual officers from effective and edifying participation in not only research, but psychological assistance as well. When considering research in the realm of law enforcement and public safety, researchers are encouraged to consider the principals and phenomena discussed in this work.

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Mar 11th, 8:30 AM Mar 11th, 10:00 AM

Mental Health and Wellbeing

VSU University Center, Magnolia Room 1

Mental Health and Wellbeing (Anne Price, Session Chair)

  • Shelly Yankovskyy and Anne Price. (Valdosta State University) The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health in South Georgia.
    Mental health is a current hot topic among academics and policymakers, especially relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. The continued rise in mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, suicide, opioid overdose, youth depression, and so forth are especially concerning. In Georgia new programs and policies have been put in place to address and support mental health at various institutional levels, such as the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act which took effect in July 2022. However, the focus on mental health and well-being can also be a distraction from systemic issues that strain mental health, making a societal problem into a personal one. While we agree that mental health issues are a major societal concern and need to be addressed, we also recognize that the emotional and mental distress that people are experiencing are often very normal responses to real social problems. In this interdisciplinary study, we examine mental health challenges and responses at multiple institutional levels. We are especially focusing on the region of South Georgia, and include perspectives from law enforcement, mental health providers, university administrators, faculty and students.
  • Ieasa Custer. (Christopher Newport University). Prioritizing Long Distance Hiking: The Appalachian Trail as a Form of Self-Care.
    This study examines those who choose to long distance hike the Appalachian Trail as a means of self-care. Many people use outdoor activities as a form of mental health aid and this is taken a step further when deciding to embark on a long distance trek. To translate this form of self-care to more accessible versions this research was driven by the question why do people prioritize long distance hiking the Appalachian Trail as a form of self-care. All of the data utilized to corroborate these findings was collected in regard to the Appalachian Long Distance Hiker Association Gathering in western Massachusetts. At the Gathering over 20 hours of ethnographic data was collected through interviews and observations of the setting. Three main themes that cause people to prioritize long distance hiking as their outlet for improving mental health were identified. The first of which being the sense of community, the second being the confidence that self-reliance inspires, and lastly the liberation from ridding themselves of materialistic desires and social positionings.
  • Nicole Woolridge. (Valdosta State University) On-Campus Greenspaces, Student Mental Health, and Landscape Genetics.
    Greenspace use, especially in conjunction with other mental health therapies, has the potential to improve student success by reducing the prevalence of mental health issues among college students today. In the spring of 2022 and 2023, qualitative research was carried out on a campus in South Georgia to determine whether greenspaces were being utilized and the self-reported impact on mental health. Students over the age of 18 participated in in-person interviews and online surveys. Questions asked students how they spend their free time, how often they visit campus greenspaces, and whether there was a difference between before and after COVID. The majority of students did make frequent use of the greenspaces, and they found that the greenspaces on campus helped improve their mental health. The author’s interests in anthropology and biology served as the motivation for this investigation. The relevance of landscape genetics, the study of landscape ecology and population genetics, and the outcomes of interactions between humans and greenspaces will all be taken into consideration as the author continues to build on this research by replotting trees and measuring width growths with devices such as GPS. Prior data will also be used to compare tree inventory growth and loss for this campus compared to another Georgia university.
  • Drew Campbell. (Valdosta State University). Sociocultural Barriers to Mental Health in Law Enforcement.
    This research is intended to examine the cultural landscape of Law Enforcement as it has developed in historical context as a profession as well as the experienced landscape of officers. Examining the implications of sociological theory when applied to law enforcement as an institutional and personal phenomenon in the lives of law enforcement officers, one observes that numerous factors must be considered when navigating the world of public safety personnel, especially when addressing or examining mental health. This research is tempered by the lived experience of the author in the field of law enforcement as an officer and administrator of policy. Classical theories are applied here to understand the considerations necessary to conduct effective and reliable research in the realm of law enforcement with the perspective of the social sciences. Incentive exists to proscribe individual officers from effective and edifying participation in not only research, but psychological assistance as well. When considering research in the realm of law enforcement and public safety, researchers are encouraged to consider the principals and phenomena discussed in this work.