In recent years, the number of mental health diagnoses on college campuses has dramatically increased. This spike has caused many psychologists to demand that colleges increase the resources on campus to address student’s mental health needs. Without proper resources to manage their mental health, students are at risk for academic failure, substance abuse, self-harm, and even suicide. It is important to ensure that no student suffers from a lack of options to proper, effective care.
This care is available on many campuses, and often students are unaware it exists or do not know where to begin. I created this infographic as a guide to increase mental health awareness for College of Charleston students. My goal was to provide many options, on and off-campus, that informed students of ways they could manage their mental health. By displaying this infographic around campus, the number of students who are unaware of these services will reduce. It also serves as an educational tool for students who do not experience acute mental health needs. This knowledge could come in handy for helping a friend in need or to be used later in their college years when students are more likely to develop or receive a diagnosis.
This infographic is a remix of my DIAC, which focused on expanding mental health resources on college campuses. This is where I gained a lot of knowledge about the specific crises that students are facing on college campuses, and why more people need to be reaching out. Suicide is the second most likely cause of death for college students, a statistic many people are not aware of. There is constant information about the dangers of drugs and alcohol circulating in schools, but not as much about the risks of neglecting one’s mental health. Cindy Liu, a clinical psychologist, noted that nearly 24% of students have considered suicide and 9% have attempted suicide. And these numbers have only increased in response to COVID-19. The exigence of this infographic is a response to all these problems students face and serves to decrease or stop these problems from ever happening again.
The audience this infographic targets is College of Charleston students, but as previously mentioned, it is not exclusive to those with acute mental health needs. I choose this audience not only because it is relevant to me but also because I could provide specific resources. An obvious constraint is that this is exclusive to College of Charleston students, but I believe the specificity of the resources is more helpful. I selected a print genre because an infographic has the potential to reach students if displayed correctly. Common areas like dorms, dining halls, and outside classrooms are all places students are constantly waiting around in. An informative poster might catch their attention, and if it is passed enough they will likely remember it. A constraint of this genre is students may not take the time to stop and read a poster.
The resource I used the most to create my infographic is Lisa Sontag-Padilla’s article “College Students Need Mental Health Support.” The support she recommended takes students’ needs and COVID-19 into consideration. Sontag-Padilla advocates for the de-stigmatization of mental health, expanding telemental health resources, and connecting with local and national resources not affiliated with colleges. Her research largely guided the formation of what I wanted to include in my infographic.
I began with in-depth research of each topic Sontag-Padilla addressed as the most important aids for college mental health. I started with de-stigmatization and creating awareness for mental health. The statistics came from studies and research mentioned in Sontag-Padilla’s work. I included them to create awareness but also to ensure students understand they are not alone in this process, advice Dr.Goldenberg states is a step in getting people to reach out for help. Then I used language that does not stigmatize those with mental illness to encourage them to seek help. 
The next step I took in my research was discovering the resources College of Charleston offers. I led with Students 4 Support because it is a peer-led organization, and many students are more receptive to peer-based support. In fact, with knowledge of peer-based mental health organizations, students display significant improvement in knowledge of mental health issues and a decrease in stigma, according to a study conducted by Sontag-Padilla and other psychologists. This knowledge, she says, “can improve campus climate around mental health, in turn, increasing the likelihood of students seeking help.” I included the Counseling Center after Students 4 Support because it is a much more formal, appointment setting that can be daunting for students first seeking help. However, it is still an extremely important resource, and knowing that it is now conducted online might increase the number of students interested.
After providing on-campus resources, I included options that can be done at home or off-campus. Self-care is a recommended resource by many psychologists for personal assistance in mental health. I included the resources recommended by the College of Charleston counseling center. Lastly, I included the option to attend an outside clinic and I added additional websites that do not substitute direct care but can provide informational resources. And crisis lines that are available to assist students 24/7.
Following my informational research, I began researching the most effective ways to create my infographic. The first source I used was Mental Health America to guarantee I approached this sensitive subject in an informed, empathetic tone. Then I researched the most visualizing engaging ways to create an infographic. This helped create a cohesive project when it came time to finally make it.
Overall, I think the strongest aspect of my genre remix is that it is a very relevant service that provides many resources for students. By providing a variety of options, I think this is a very effective way to make sure students are aware of and comfortable with seeking care. I also think it creates awareness on campus for students to not feel afraid to seek help, and students without acute mental health needs to understand the support their peers may need. I think there is room to improve by expanding resources outside the College of Charleston and potentially finding ways to display this on multiple platforms: social media, websites, etc.
Although an infographic is not creating a new, comprehensive mental health services program like many psychologists are demanding, it does serve a purpose to encourage students to utilize the resources that are already available. Students will still experience mental health needs whether or not colleges expand their services, so making the services in place accessible is still very important to help students address their needs. Too many students deal with self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal action. Creating awareness on the College of Charleston campus is just a small step that can be taken to ensure no student goes through this alone.
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