As is the case across the nation, mental health support calls have increased over the last few years on the Hill. At McDaniel’s Wellness Center, six full-time staff members conducted 2,065 appointments in 2022-23.
Over the course of the year, the Wellness Center proved how valuable mental health services can be on a college campus. Among the reasons for seeking counseling, the top three included anxiety (78.2%), stress (62.5%), and depression (53.5%), with self-esteem, family problems, academic performance, panic attacks, relationship problems, attention difficulties, and sleep problems rounding out the top 10. Of the 329 students who received services, 82% of clients experienced improvement in their presenting problems at the end of treatment. Additionally, 90% of clients said they were more likely to stay at McDaniel after receiving services.
To allow more students to reap the benefits of wellness in their lives, the Wellness Center put a new emphasis on psychoeducational workshops on topics such as coping with anxiety and stress, finding motivation, practicing self-compassion, and utilizing art therapy skills. Additionally, the “Let’s Talk” program introduced students to informal counseling consultations with weekly hours at the Roj Student Center and in Gill Center for student-athletes. A new partnership with Carroll Hospital’s Tevis Center for Wellness led to a “Taking Care of You” series, hosting sessions on nutrition, stress management, yoga, guided meditation, and ergonomics.
The Griswold-Zepp Award is given each year to a current student for proposed volunteer experiences addressing the needs of local, regional, national, or worldwide communities. The 2022 winner of the award was junior Sydney Hinnant, who worked in partnership with McDaniel’s Active Minds student organization, which is dedicated to promoting mental health awareness. Continuing this year, Hinnant created pop-up mental health spaces on campus, designed for students to de-stress and relax, as well as organized various events for students, including a meditation talk, yoga, making stress balls, animal therapy, and a question-and-answer session with the Wellness Center. The campus also rolled out the “YOU Matter” campaign in collaboration with Griswold-Zepp project leaders, where each month featured an event to foster a sense of community and belonging among students.