Topic: Mental Health on Adolescence/College Students in Northern Virginia
I will add Paper #1 to give you insight on what we’ve been talking about
You are to write 3-4 pages explaining what community health measures are occurring and resources that exist to address your specific community health issue. The goal is to assess what is currently being done to mediate the situation. Here are the details as to what your paper is to address…
Paper 2 In your paper answer:
Organizations (30 points)
Name organizations that are involved in trying to alleviate/fix the issue.
Include at least four organizations: two community organization (in your communities) and two others such as a government, non-government (NGOs), and non-profit organization. (Review Chapter 2 of your text to identify different types of organizations.)
Asha Ali
Nuenyat Mesfin
HPR 230 A
03/31/2023
Background
By March 1st, 2026, Hope for Future plans to have reached a 85 percent decrease in
undiagnosed depression, anxiety, and/or other mental health rates in college students in the
Northern Virginia region.The audience of this topic consists of college students in Fairfax
County, Virginia. The average age of college students ranges from 18-22 years old. In the Fairfax
County area, the ethnicity of college students ranges from a 41% population of White students,
followed by 18.7% of Asian students, 18.1% of Hispanic/Latino students and 14.4% African
American students. Mental health disorders in relation to Covid-19 increased in number, students
suffering from common mental health disorders increased in total of 71.26 percent of students.
Objectives:
1. Longterm : By March 2026, cut down to 20 percent of undiagnosed mental health
rates from 71.26 percent.
2. Intermediate: By December 2024, established trained professionals provide
constant care to local colleges and universities and reach at least 45 percent of the
targeted audiences from the 100 percent of the audience.
3. Short term: By December 2023, create partnerships with local organizations and
provide exposure to the organization to targeted audiences.
Assessment
In the Fairfax County, Virginia area, there are many physical factors influencing health,
which contribute negatively to the development of mental health issues among college students.
Three of the physical factors that affect health and specifically mental health include community
size, industrial development, and environment. When focusing on community size, Fairfax
County in Virginia has become a populous area with rapid population growth due to births and
influx of people from other regions and states in search of employment. Cities such as Fairfax,
Herndon, Fair Oaks, Dranesville, Vienna and others all grew rapidly in the past two decades to
have industrial processing and businesses that attract a larger population. Increase in community
population has known negative impacts on health because of congestion, increased economic
hardship due to increased demand for commodities and increased cost of living. All these social
issues influence mental health. Congestion in the community is also associated with pollution,
which equally has a negative impact on health and evidently influences health negatively. As
such, community size influences mental health in numerous ways. Industrial development is
another physical factor affecting health in Fairfax County. The development of industries in an
area influences occurrence of pollution and population growth. These factors have a direct
impact on human life and influence health in numerous ways. According to Asdfg, increase in
environmental pollution including air, water, and land pollution have negative impacts on health,
productivity of land, and longevity of domesticated animals. In regard to health, pollution leads
to respiratory illnesses, water borne diseases, and related body vulnerability to illnesses.
Occurrence of such inconveniences on the populations ultimately increases anxiety, depression,
stress, and onset of other more dangerous mental health issues.
Major depression, bipolar disorder, and intense anxiety disorder all come from life’s
frustrations and pollution could be a major contributing factor. The environment also plays a
great role in influencing mental health. Clean and healthier environments would definitely
promote health and mental calm in the population whereas a poorly managed environment would
stir agitation, lack of satisfaction, and promote anxiety in the population. The environment
directly affects many human activities in humongous ways and it would always be a contributing
factor to health. Individuals living in safer, cleaner, and less dense environments always exhibit
less instances of health challenges, especially mental health as compared to those living in
polluted, dirty, and congested environments. For the case of university students, exposure to
environments that seem scary and inappropriate would generally cause an increase in stress and
anxiety, core precursors to severe cases of mental health such as mania, hallucinations, substance
abuse, depression, and many others.
Secondary Data
According to the data from the Youth Survey in Fairfax County, Virginia, more than 38
percent of students in 8th , 10th, and 12th grade report feeling suicidal, hoplessness, and sadness
for more then two consecutive weeks. When analyzing this data , it provides background on how
85 percent of college students experience undiagnosed mental health concerns. By assessing and
treating at earlier ages prior to college , more and more students will be able to build the coping
mechanisms and treatment plans that will help them succeed in college and beyond. According
to the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, over 750,000 Virginian residents are either
actively seeking services or are wanting to begin. They shed light in regards to just how
expensive and inaccessible seeking help really is , over 350,000 residents are unable to get
services like psychotherapy due to the limited number of licensed mental health providers in the
area along with how expensive their services are. According to the WHO “effective community
approaches to prevent depression include school based programs”. To effectively combat
depression and other mental health concerns, establishing community wide programs where
numerous resources can be offered like physical activities, self care resources, or even social
support may help combat the increasing rates of untreated mental health concerns in the
community. By seeking statistics from the WHO and local organizations like the Community
foundation of Northern Virginia, it will provide us the ability to compare local rates to national
and global trends. The WHO organization specifically will aid our efforts by providing us an
outline on symptoms, risk factors, diagnoses , and treatment plans.
Program Implementation
The mission of Hope for Future is to reach out to all university students throughout the
county and educate them and the community on how to prevent, detect, and manage symptoms
of mental health. The primary partners of Hope for Future would include nonprofit organizations
in the state of Virginia dedicated to providing support and assistance to those living with mental
health issues. The most notable partners in the quest to extend community outreach programs
into schools and community include mental health America, Tragedy Assistance program for
survivors, national alliance on mental illness, treatment advocacy centers and many others. The
most ideal promotional strategy that will be used by Hope for Future is digital marketing. Social
media would play a critical role in reaching out to all university students to educate them and
train them on how to prevent, detect, and manage mental health signs and symptoms. At the start
of the program, it would require financial capital, human resources, equipment for storing data,
and writing materials. The main program of Hope for Future would include development of a
special team of mental health educators who will be visiting universities to educate students and
guide them on how to prevent, detect, and manage mental health issues. Hope for Future is set to
have at least 10 full time employees and volunteers who will coordinate statewide interventions,
programs, and tasks geared towards empowering students and community members against
mental health. Hope for Future program would be managed centrally, with the top management
making most of the decisions and policies. The decisions and policies will certainly be made in
line with company or program mission, objectives, goals, and policies. The organization would
be managed from Fairfax city but it would have outreach community programs and initiatives
throughout the county in universities and colleges. The program would seek to partner with
institutional bodies and programs to enhance mental health advocacy and education in the
universities.
In conclusion, the importance of mental health in college students cannot be overstated.
As young adults navigate the challenges of higher education, they face a multitude of stressors,
including academic pressures, social demands, and life transitions. Prioritizing mental health in
college is crucial for students to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. It is not just about
achieving good grades, but also about developing healthy coping mechanisms, building
resilience, and maintaining overall well-being. Hope for Future will begin the next step towards
investing in mental health support and resources for college students towards their overall health,
happiness, and future success. When the community prioritizes their mental health, the students
are better equipped to handle challenges, manage stress, and make the most of their college
experience. It is imperative for educational institutions, parents, and students themselves to
recognize the importance of mental health and take proactive steps to promote mental well-being
in college students, ultimately setting them up for success in both their academic and personal
lives. Let us come together to create a college environment that values and prioritizes mental
health, and supports students in their journey towards academic excellence and personal growth.
Work Cited
Auerbach, R. P., Mortier, P., Bruffaerts, R., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Cuijpers, P.,
Demyttenaere, K., Ebert, D. D., Green, J. G., Hasking, P., Murray, E., Nock, M. K.,
Pinder-Amaker, S., Sampson, N. A., Stein, D. J., Vilagut, G., Zaslavsky, A. M., Kessler, R. C., &
WHO WMH-ICS Collaborators (2018). WHO World Mental Health Surveys International
College Student Project: Prevalence and distribution of mental disorders. Journal of abnormal
psychology, 127(7), 623–638. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000362
Depressive disorder (depression). (2022, March 31). Retrieved April 3, 2023, from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
News center. (2022, October 31). New report provides look at students’ mental health
during pandemic: News center. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/new-report-provides-look-students-mental-health-during-pa
ndemic
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