Insights

Another school year is now in full swing. Parents and caregivers know that a new school year can be exciting and stressful at the same time. Keeping a few key points in mind can help your student (and you!) make the most of your school community and college campus — and equip you with practical tips and tools to help.

College is a significant life transition where students take on new levels of independence and responsibility. It’s a time for growth and excitement, and can come with significant stress, anxiety and adjustment. Most colleges offer support services to help students balance academic and personal pressures. It's crucial for parents and families to understand campus support systems and, when needed, learn to help their students navigate these resources effectively.

Education is a pathway to success, but young people of color face pressures from academic standards, social media, and relationships. These challenges can lead to stress, anxiety, or depression, affecting their academics and well-being. This guide provides strategies for parents to help students balance school success and mental health.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States. Mental health is deeply influenced by cultural norms and values. In many Hispanic cultures, there is a strong emphasis on family, community, and collective identity.

In 2008, the 110th Congress passed H. Con. Res 134, with concurrent bicameral support, to commemorate July as “Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.” The Honorable Albert Wynn sponsored the resolution, which would later serve as a foundation and vehicle for a national advocacy movement to address the inequities in mental health care for people of color.

Men’s Mental Health is such a vast topic and there is so much work to be done in terms of transforming how we, as men, and masculine-identifying people approach our emotional wellness. In a world where men are often so focused on appearing strong, in control and avoiding any semblance of vulnerability, making mental health matter by challenging the tendency to perform these less than healthy behaviors in the name of masculinity is needed.

Realizing your own abilities is crucial and understanding your value is key.  Tally your skills, talents, and abilities to function in various roles as student, worker, and in relationships. Seek to be productive in those roles, setting goals you wish to accomplish and working towards them. Be willing to look ahead and develop a vision of what you want to see and what you want to be.

May is Mental Health Awareness month (and also Mother’s Day is in May) so this seems serendipitous that I should have this memory of my mom, my connection and belongingness to her and the hope she infused in me.

During “Earth Month,” we are encouraged to celebrate our planet and take climate action. Beyond the April celebration, let us raise environmental consciousness, honor nature and demand the rights of ALL living beings to a hospitable home: our Mother Earth.