mental health

Coping With Uncertainty

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:40:41 +0000

Coping With Uncertainty  admin Wed, 06/04/2025 - 12:40

Being a college student can be an opportunity for deep insight, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and the realization of one’s untapped potential. At times, college can be an intense and demanding journey — rendered more challenging by societal factors beyond the boundaries of campus. National and world events can leave students feeling confused and unsure about the present and the future. This uncertainty can affect academic performance and well-being, and sometimes lead to mental health concerns.

Fortunately, a range of strategies can help individuals be resilient and respond to uncertain times in healthy ways, according to Vidal Annan, senior director of the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources at Georgia Tech.

Sociopolitical stress can be defined as psychological and emotional strain and tension that we may experience in response to political, social, and economic events. Intense feelings and experiences that stem from awareness of and exposure to these events can lead to mental health concerns such as anxiety, anger, and depression.

“The human system is generally able to handle stress by temporarily switching into fight-or-flight mode,” Annan said. “However, when the uncertainty is intense, sustained, or frequent, this can overwhelm the human system and lead to more serious and chronic anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.”

According to a recent study published by the National Institutes of Health, college students reported high levels of stress regarding the most recent U.S. elections. The study also found that higher sociopolitical stress predicted more depression for students.

So, with a constant flood of information and heightened global tensions, how can students cope?

“The best solution to uncertainty is certainty. But sometimes certainty is hard to come by or it may not be in one’s favor,” Annan said. “In those cases, it is important to manage the emotions that we have in response to the uncertainty.”

Annan recommends several techniques that can help students — or anyone — find healthy ways to respond to stressful situations, including:

Manage your exposure to news and social media.

It is important to stay aware and up to date on what is happening in the world, but it is just as vital not to become overwhelmed with news and social media posts. Limit your exposure to these sources of information if needed and try not to get caught up in doom-scrolling.

Engage in self-care activities regularly.

Stress management involves engaging in regular self-care activities. These include regular sleep, eating, hydrating, socializing, enjoying hobbies, exercising, and finding time to reflect on things that matter to you. Stay away from misusing drugs and alcohol and losing yourself in meaningless activities.

Manage your interactions with others (with different viewpoints).

Socializing is a healthy, resilience-building activity, but if it leads to heated conversations that cause stress, try to limit those interactions. Instead, focus on sharing common interests.

If you’d like to improve your capacity to discuss different ideas and beliefs, take the online course called “Perspectives,” developed by the Constructive Dialogue Institute. This asynchronous course is available at no cost to all Georgia Tech students. Email vp_sewb@gatech.edu to receive a link to the course.

Avoid paralysis by analysis.

When we get stressed, the mind may try to “problem-solve” by repeatedly revisiting difficult topics and exploring any and every outcome, especially the negative ones. This overthinking is unhealthy, unhelpful, and only produces more feelings of stress. Instead, try to catch yourself when you are overthinking. Ask yourself, “Is this a topic that I can solve by constantly thinking about it?” If not, take a deep breath and try to refocus on more neutral or engaging topics.

Engage in self-compassion.

Research shows that when, in times of stress, we treat ourselves with kindness and remember that we are human, it can provide relief. Extending grace to oneself — by forgiving mistakes, accepting vulnerability, and recognizing areas for growth — is a form of compassion.

Take proactive and constructive action.

Is there a safe and responsible action you can take to address the issue at hand? In times of uncertainty, it is important to remember that you have a voice. Look to join organizations, engage in positive activism, and increase your knowledge about a topic or issue. Instead of worrying, which generates no results, develop a list of concrete actions you can take; even small steps can be meaningful.

Seek professional support.

Always remember that help is available. If you feel that the stress is affecting your mental health and functioning, reach out to the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources.

“The only constant in life is change, and change can make us feel uncertain,” Annan said. “How we respond to this uncertainty can impact our well-being and functioning. By implementing a variety of effective psychological and practical approaches in our lives, we can reinforce our resilience and stay healthy during difficult times.”

Students can access a variety of on- and off-campus mental health support services, including counseling, peer coaching, wellness coaching, and mindfulness programming.

Students who are experiencing significant mental health difficulties and need immediate support can call the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources at 404.894.2575 or visit Suite 238 in the Smithgall Student Services Building during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). After-hours support is available through the same phone number by selecting the option for the after-hours counselor. In an emergency, call the Georgia Tech Police Department at 404.894.2500 on campus or 911 off campus.

Summary sentence

There are a range of strategies that can help individuals to be resilient and respond to uncertain times in healthy ways.

Summary

Being a college student can be an intense and demanding journey, and this experience can become even more challenging with changes in the larger society. This uncertainty can affect academic performance and well-being and sometimes lead to mental health concerns.

Dateline

Fri, 04/18/2025 - 12:00

Contact

Authors:

Vidal Annan and Luoluo Hong
Student Engagement and Well-Being

Associated importer

Keywords

Center for Mental Health Care and Resources

mental health

uncertainty

Student Engagement and Well-being

News room topics

Campus and Community

Mercury ID

681897

Source updated

Wed, 06/04/2025 - 12:39

Georgia Tech Supports National Suicide Prevention Week

admin — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 20:41:31 +0000

Georgia Tech Supports National Suicide Prevention Week admin Thu, 09/07/2023 - 16:41

According to the 2022-23 Healthy Minds Study, 14% of college students reported having suicidal thoughts in the past year. The University of Connecticut reports that suicide is the second leading cause of death among 18- to 24-year-olds and that one in 12 U.S. college students has made a suicide plan. While it’s important to know the data and statistics about suicide, the most important fact to know about suicide? It’s preventable.

Georgia Tech will be participating in National Suicide Prevention Week from Sept. 11 to 15 as part of its commitment to end suicide on campus. This week will feature events, pet therapy, meditation, QPR trainings, and more, as well as encouraging students to take advantage of year-round programs, services, and resources that contribute to their well-being, such as fitness classes, nutrition counseling, and career workshops. The week’s events are centered around two main messages: To those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone; and to those who want to help, you don’t have to be a trained professional to make a difference.

“Research tells us that suicide is among the leading causes of death for young adults and college students, but we also know that with the right self-care efforts and support from others, we can reduce and even eliminate deaths as a result of suicide,” said Luoluo Hong, vice president for Student Engagement and Well-Being. “This is why we are dedicated to shifting the campus culture and placing more emphasis on a holistic approach to promoting health and wellness, using our Cultivate Well-Being Action and Transformation Roadmap as a guide.”

The Center for Mental Health Care and Resources is the primary sponsor for this week’s events, but many other campus organizations have collaborated for the campaign, including Active Minds, Campus Recreation, Housing and Residence Life, Klemis Kitchen, Psi Chi, the Psychology Club, campus QPR instructors, the Student Government Association Mental Health Coalition, and the Wellness Empowerment Center.

“With all these different groups and types of events, some people may wonder, ‘What does pet therapy have to do with suicide prevention?’ or ‘Why are meditation and exercise included in suicide prevention?’” said Andrew Stochel, psychologist and QPR coordinator with the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources. “What many people don’t realize is that there are many contributing factors to suicide risk, like strain and stress, and this week’s events are designed to combat those factors across all Eight Dimensions of Wellness.”

All events are open and free to students, and many will be open to faculty and staff as well. The full schedule of events is:

Monday, Sept. 11: Acts of kindness giveaways at various times and locations across campus.
Tuesday, Sept. 12: Pet therapy from noon to 2 p.m. at the John Lewis Student Center.
Wednesday, Sept. 13: Tabling event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tech Walkway.
Thursday, Sept. 14: Meditation class from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. at the Campus Recreation Center.
Friday, Sept. 15: QPR training marathon with virtual and in-person sessions throughout the day.

While most of these events are meant to help students relax and have fun, they are also intended to bring awareness to the issue of suicide on the college campus, educate the community on how they can help, and connect those who may be struggling with the resources they need.

“Our message to students who are dealing with suicidal thoughts is this: ‘You’re not alone. Talk to someone. Reach out,’” said Vidal Annan, senior director for the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources. “We have resources available both on and off campus, all hours of the day.”

Students can walk into the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources in the Smithgall Student Services Building, Suite 238, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Center offers support during business hours, after hours, and on weekends through its phone services at 404.894.2575 and also offers information and resources on its website. Anyone who is experiencing an immediate, life-threatening emergency on campus should call the Georgia Tech Police Department at 404.894.2500. Additional on-campus resources can be found in the Student Resource Guide.

Off-campus resources include the National 988 Hotline, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800.273.8255, Georgia Crisis and Access Line 800.715.4225, and the Crisis Text Line 741.741 (text “HOME” or “STEVE”).

Summary sentence

Georgia Tech will be supporting National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 11 – 15 as part of its commitment to end suicide on campus.

Summary

This week will feature acts of kindness events, pet therapy, meditation, QPR trainings, and more, as well as encouraging students to take advantage of year-round programs, services, and resources that contribute to their well-being, such as fitness classes, nutrition counseling, and career workshops. The week’s events are centered around two main messages: To those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone; and to those who want to help, you don’t have to be a trained professional to make a difference.

Dateline

Fri, 09/01/2023 - 12:00

Keywords

mental health

suicide prevention week

News room topics

Campus and Community

Mercury ID

669384

Source updated

Thu, 09/07/2023 - 16:30

Vidal Annan Jr. Named Senior Director of the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources

admin — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 20:11:31 +0000

Vidal Annan Jr. Named Senior Director of the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources admin Tue, 06/06/2023 - 16:11

Following a national search, Vidal Annan Jr., clinical psychologist and director of Counseling and Alcohol and Other Drug Services at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, has been named the new senior director of the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources.

Annan received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 2000 with a focus on cognitive processing and experimental psychology. After graduating, he worked for three years at the Rutgers University Center for Cognitive Science, researching visual perception and attention topics. Upon receiving his clinical license, Annan worked in several mental health and wellness areas, including K-12 schools and universities, youth development programs, hospitals, mental health consulting, and private practice.

Luoluo Hong, vice president for Student Engagement and Well-Being, said, “Vidal Annan demonstrated a keen interest in Georgia Tech’s mission and strategic priorities during his campus interview. His record of service exhibits strong leadership, creativity, and commitment to students in his prior work, and I am confident that he will assist our team in meeting our goals and vision for the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources.”

Over the course of his career, Annan has taught and presented at several colleges and universities, including Barnard College, Vanderbilt University, Kean, and Rutgers. He has received grants from foundations such as Autism Speaks, the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, and the Prudential Foundation to conduct program development and clinical work on emotional intelligence, growth mindset, and socio-emotional learning with adolescents and young adults.

“I am very excited that Vidal Annan will be joining us as the senior director for the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources,” said John M. Stein, associate vice president for Student Life and dean of students, and supervisor for this role. “He is an experienced and skilled practitioner and leader.”

Annan regularly works with several other offices in the Wellness Center and across campus to support students’ well-being and embed evidence-based mental health practices in the university environment. As a clinician, he specializes in several treatment approaches, including acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and person-centered psychotherapy. His empathetic approach focuses on students’ lived experiences, and he works to empower them to set and work toward their personal, social, and professional goals.

“I’m very excited to join the Georgia Tech team and look forward to working with these dedicated professionals to continue to bring high-quality mental health care to the students of the Institute,” said Annan, who will start in his new role July 17.

Summary sentence

Following a national search, Vidal Annan Jr. has been named the new senior director of the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources.

Summary

Dateline

Wed, 06/07/2023 - 12:00

Sara.warner@gatech.edu

Associated importer

Keywords

mental health

cultivate well-being

News room topics

Campus and Community

Student Engagement and Well-Being Launches Two New Student Wellness Centers

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 03:29:31 +0000

Student Engagement and Well-Being Launches Two New Student Wellness Centers admin Thu, 09/08/2022 - 23:29

The Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being has announced the opening of the Wellness Empowerment Center and the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources. Based on continued assessment of Georgia Tech’s student support programs, student feedback from the past year, and in alignment with the Cultivate Well-Being Action and Transformation Roadmap for students, these new centers will help improve and expand student wellness programming and mental health support for Yellow Jackets.

When Luoluo Hong started at Georgia Tech in 2021 as the inaugural vice president for Student Engagement and Well-Being, efforts were well underway to augment student mental healthcare services.

“Pieces of the framework for mental health and emotional wellness support had been established in many ways. Georgia Tech’s Mental Health Task Force and the Institute’s A Path Forward – Together initiative addressed many of the needs and challenges of our campus community,” Hong said. “We now need to take the next step and adopt a holistic, more proactive approach to all eight dimensions of wellness in order to address the needs of our students today and into the future.”

Formerly known as Health Initiatives, the WE Center aims to educate, encourage, and equip students to prioritize their own health and wellness, as well as become active participants in healthy lifestyle choices. It will provide research-based programs and services that advocate for holistic wellness, with a special emphasis on addressing the unique needs of students with marginalized identities.

Using a comprehensive approach, the WE Center will focus its efforts on the eight dimensions of wellness: environmental, emotional, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual.

“We are expanding our efforts to ensure we are prioritizing prevention and focusing on the whole person and not only certain dimensions, as they all work together and are interdependent. It’s important for undergraduate and graduate students to have the resources and skills to be proactive instead of reactive,” said Joi Alexander, director of the Wellness Empowerment Center, which will engage and empower the Georgia Tech community to pursue optimal health and wellness and maximize their potential where they live, learn, work, and play.

The second center to launch this month, the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources, reorganizes the Center for Assessment, Referral, and Education (CARE) and the Counseling Center into one unit. It will proactively promote mental health and advance a culture of self-care and of shared community responsibility around crisis response and case management. And it will include a dotted reporting line from Stamps Psychiatry to ensure that student mental healthcare is purposefully coordinated and integrated. With this alignment, students will have greater and quicker access to more case managers, decreased wait times, and increased critical care through referrals and interventions. Students will continue to visit CARE as their primary point of access to campus mental health services.

“What we learned from student feedback and from the pandemic is that we need to focus on a proactive approach to mental health and wellness,” said John M. Stein, associate vice president for Student Engagement and Well-Being and Brandt-Fritz Dean of Students Chair. “Counseling and mental health support programs are still very important and will continue to be supported, but even more important is the preventive approach to wellness that these new centers highlight.”

The launch of these two new centers complements the dedication to campus culture change and improved well-being for our entire campus community that will be the new focus of the Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being and the Cultivate Well-Being Action and Transformation Roadmap.

Summary sentence

The Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being has announced the opening of the Wellness Empowerment Center and the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources.

Summary

The Division of Student Engagement and Well-Being has announced the opening of the Wellness Empowerment Center and the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources.

Dateline

Tue, 09/06/2022 - 12:00

Contact

Sara Warner
sara.warner@gatech.edu

Keywords

student well-being

mental health

wellness

cos-students

cos-community

C-PIES

News room topics

Campus and Community

mental health

Coping With Uncertainty

Manage your exposure to news and social media.

Engage in self-care activities regularly.

Manage your interactions with others (with different viewpoints).

Avoid paralysis by analysis.

Engage in self-compassion.

Take proactive and constructive action.

Seek professional support.

Authors:

Keywords

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Georgia Tech Supports National Suicide Prevention Week

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Vidal Annan Jr. Named Senior Director of the Center for Mental Health Care and Resources

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Student Engagement and Well-Being Launches Two New Student Wellness Centers

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