Growing a healthy mind: Mental health conversation expands across local schools, colleges

Mar. 30—Mental health is a topic of conversation in many schools and colleges as awareness around the topic is continuously growing.

Daviess County Public Schools, Owensboro Public Schools and Kentucky Wesleyan College are opening the doors on mental health and allowing community members to see what students are doing to expand the discussion.

DAVIESS COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DCPS held a district-wide art festival at the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum on March 21-23, and Apollo High School students had a walkthrough, interactive exhibit set up to show the thoughts and feelings associated with the journey of mental health.

The exhibit was placed in the AHS library Monday, remaining there through the end of the week, for students and staff to experience.

Junior Avery Bowlds was one of the students to work on the project.

"This exhibit is about depression, anxiety, mental health in general and what it's like to persevere and go through the process of healing," she said. "It can be painful and very lonely sometimes, and we wanted to make sure people knew others go through this."

Bowlds said the students chose the medium because they wanted it to be powerful.

"We wanted to give others a feeling of enlightenment in knowing they aren't alone," she said.

The beginning of the exhibit starts with a blackened, empty space with drawings depicting emotions and faces surrounding the viewer.

"We wanted to capture the feeling of being stuck in a mental space where you feel like you can't get out," Bowlds said. "As you walk through, there's a diary page entry with a black background and images and pictures of poetry, entries, quotes. Things that make you feel better."

At the end of the exhibit, the viewer sees flower scenery with a mural of a person holding up their hand to "possibility."

"I have gone through a lot, and knowing I'm not alone has helped me through my journey," Bowlds said. "We agreed on sharing the message that you're not alone and wanted to make it to feel inspired to keep going."

OWENSBORO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OPS is hosting a Community Wellness Night focused on mental health from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30 at Owensboro Innovation Academy. The event is free and open to the public. Pizza vouchers will be handed out to attending families.

Summer Bell, mental health coordinator for the district, said the event began in 2022 after seeing the increased need for mental health services.

"We had 20 families show up last year, so this year we wanted to expand the event and expand our partnerships," she said.

There will be 45 community partners at the event that focus on mental health and overall wellness.

"It's a 'one-stop shop' to be connected with any resource, including doctor's offices, speech therapists, yoga instructors and the 4-H extension office," Bell said. "There will be an array of services for families and students."

On Tuesday, Bell said 65 families have shown interest in attending the event.

"The numbers compared to last year show there is a need," she said. "Since COVID, mental health is being talked about more, and we want to make sure families know what we can offer."

Aside from the event, Bell said the district has counselors inside schools to help students who are dealing with anxiety, depression or mood disorders.

"We want to show what we're capable of and provide and highlight community partners," Bell said.

Bell said the event is planned by a committee, and there have been talks about expanding the event.

"We would love to do a fall and spring event," she said, "but it would depend on funding and the need."

KENTUCKY WESLEYAN COLLEGE

KWC's Every Life Matters organization is hosting its annual suicide awareness and prevention week April 3-6 with different activities daily.

""Every Life Matters" is centered around suicide awareness and prevention," said Simon Hansen, president of the organization. "We do trainings during the week with students faculty and staff, along with a chapel service on Wednesday with a focus on mental health."

T-shirts will be available to purchase with the proceeds going to the Owensboro Suicide Prevention Coalition.

"We chose the name 'Every Life Matters' because KWC wants every student to feel like they matter and that they have their own purpose from God," said Terri Petzold, director of counseling services at the college.

Petzold said this is the third year for suicide awareness and prevention week, having skipped 2020 due to the pandemic.

"COVID had an effect on everyone in the community and nationwide," she said. "Statistics show that suicide rates have increased, and we want to bring awareness around that. We want to do everything we can to make people aware and prevent deaths by suicide."

Hanson said the awareness week has had an increase in interest across many parts of the campus community.

"A lot of the students and staff need those tools we teach during the week," he said.

KWC implemented mental health first aid training in 2019, followed by Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) training.

"We have trained over 500 people since 2019 in mental health first aid or QPR," Petzold said. "We are passionate about promoting mental health wellness and decreasing the stigma."

Hanson said many students find themselves in a rut at college.

"There's a growing period and this isolation," he said. "As you get older, that can naturally decrease, but KWC does a good job of doing its part in making mental wellness a priority."

Petzold said there has been an increase in deaths by suicide amongst college age people, and it has significantly increased amongst those in the LGBTQ+ community.

"An estimation by the Trevor Project shows that the LGBTQ+ population are four rimes more likely to attempt suicide than their peers," she said.

The college will host Josh Rivedal, an author, playwright and actor, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.April 3 at the Wells Activity Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Rivedal's presentation, "From Impossible to i'Mpossible: Suicide Prevention 2.0," will include discussions on how his father died by suicide, his own depression and suicidal ideation while in college and how he was able to receive help.

Additional resources will be available by Rivedal and the Owensboro Suicide Prevention Coalition during the event.

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