A new organization called Active Minds has arrived at Pepperdine to promote discussion and remove the taboo against mental disorders.
Active Minds is a nonprofit organization that aims to eliminate prejudice regarding mental disorders on college campuses, educate students about mental health and encourage them to seek help whenever it is needed.
Alison Malmon originally started the club in 2001 at the University of Pennsylvania. The idea began to spread quickly across the United States, and in 2003 it was officially established as a nonprofit.
The Pepperdine chapter was founded by co-presidents Elizabeth Coe and Mia Longo, along with five other Seaver students.
“As a Psychology major, I recognize how some people view mental disorders and problems in a negative way, attaching a stigma to mental issues. In my opinion, Active Minds is the perfect tool for erasing that stigma,” Longo said.
“Speaking for the other co-founders as well, I think we were all inspired by the potential that we saw in this organization to really impact Pepperdine for the better, by starting a much-needed conversation about the somewhat taboo topic of mental health,” Coe added.
The co-presidents agree that Active Minds fulfills an important need on campus.
“As busy college students, we often don’t recognize how important mental health is and put it on the back burner,” Longo said.
“Just like at any other college campus, students at Pepperdine struggle with depression, loneliness and other feelings that may be difficult to talk about. We as students tend to be really good at hiding these things in order to focus on our daily activities. However, evading the issue doesn’t solve it,” Coe said.
Active Minds will be holding events in partnership with the Counseling Center throughout the year; however, it is important to remember that they are two independent entities. Active Minds is a student-run national organization and strives to be independent of University counseling centers, Longo specified.
Nevertheless, Active Minds cannot offer peer-counseling services, and Coe believes that a close relationship with the Counseling Center is important to better serve the Pepperdine community.
On Nov. 1 the two will be tabling together for Depression Screening Day, and they plan to do so for other awareness weeks throughout the year.
Active Minds hopes to promote discussion between peers and to equip students not only to be able to support each other, but to recognize when it may be time to seek help.
“We hope that even just our presence as a club will incite a change in attitude on campus by showing that we will no longer allow mental health issues at Pepperdine to be ignored or hidden,” Coe said. “By promoting mental health, we believe we are better equipping students to do the many things they are already doing.”
