Focus on Wellness: Mental and Emotional Wellness for College Students

Instructors - along with everything we are managing during this unprecedented time, focusing on mental health is more important than ever. Students are experiencing unusual levels of anxiety, depression, fear, and isolation. It is important to identify mental health as an element of student wellbeing; address areas of concerns and specific mental health conditions; and provide on-campus and community resources to support students. Students need to feel heard and supported and understand that they are not alone in their search for mental wellbeing. I have been teaching undergraduate courses at UC Santa Barbara in health, nutrition, and fitness for over 20 years, and I put together a little 30-minute lecture that you can easily implement into your courses, to provide essential information on mental and emotional health. This lecture is presented with clear slides that are narrated by me, to provide your students with current information on mental health, how to identify conditions and most importantly how to find resources for support.
Also: here are some multiple-choice questions you can use for polling, or quizzing. (Best single answer.)

1. What percentage of students reported that stress has affected their academic performance?
   1. 10%
   2. 20%
   3. 30%
   4. 50%
2. Which of the following is considered a mental health disorder? 
   1. Mood disorder
   2. Personality disorder 
   3. Eating disorder 
   4. All are considered mental health disorders
3. Behaviors that affect Mental health and wellness include:
   1. Sleep 
   2. Physical Activity 
   3. Nutrition 
   4. Socialization 
   5. all of the above
4. The definition of Wellness is: 
   1. the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal.
   2. the act of being under the care of a physician
   3. Taking all of your prescribed medications
   4. The state of being rich and famous 
5. What percentage of students reported that they have felt overwhelmed at some point in the last year?
   1. 25%
   2. 45%
   3. 55%
   4. 86%

   Answers: 1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (e) 4. (a) 5. (d)

Author Bio

Amy Jamieson MS, CPT, PES, Certified Nutritionist AASDN Santa Barbara, CA Amy Jamieson is the Department Chair and faculty member at UC Santa Barbara in the department of Exercise and Sports Studies. She has over 20years experience in the wellness and fitness industry and spends most of her time working as a lecturer and educator. Amy holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise and Health Science with an emphasis in performance enhancement and injury prevention. In addition, she is a certified Nutritionist through the AASDN and serves as the MyPlate Ambassador at UC Santa Barbara. Amy is the chair of the ESS Wellness Committee, responsible for creating and implementing student wellness-based programs and resources including the upgraded Wellness and Fitness Institute designed to provide a platform for academic learning and student wellness education. Amy’s enthusiasm in the field of fitness and wellness encompasses experience in nutrition, pre/post-natal fitness, youth fitness, senior fitness, post-rehab training, sports specific training, posture, alignment, and stabilization training as well as general fitness and health. Her broad education and experience in the field provides students with numerous fieldwork and hands-on internships in the field of health, wellness, and fitness.