Out of Darkness walk raises awareness about mental health

Utah State University’s second annual Mental Health Awareness week will begin Saturday March 19, with the Out of the Darkness walk to raise awareness about mental health and suicide.

“This year our theme is ‘Stand Up To Stigma’ and the planning committee wanted to bring an event to campus that would be engaging for our on- and off-campus communities. When they found the walk, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, they knew it would be a great fit,” said Madison Maners, the Public Relations and Marketing Director for Utah State University Student Association. “We hope it will give participants an opportunity to literally act on our theme and stand up for the things which have impacted their lives.”

This is the first time that USU has held the walk. It will go from 1:30 to 4 p.m. starting at the Taggart Student Center patio.

“We want to bring to light the voices of our loved ones, friends and community members — every student can benefit from doing so,” Maners said.

USUSA hopes that many people can participate in this event. Doing so can help others learn about how to help those struggling with mental illness, and by raising awareness, those struggling with mental illnesses can receive the help they need quicker.

“We’re hoping to have participants from USU and the community come out for it. We also want to create an environment where mental health and suicide can be discussed openly,” Maners said.

While the benefits may not be direct, the walk can still raise hope for those struggling. Participants in the walk will be given different colored beads according to the different types of struggles they have gone through.

“The biggest thing about this is that as a community that we can see that there is support. If a student who is struggling with a mental illness can see that there are poeple who also have struggled or who have lost loved ones to suicide then they can there are all these people willing to reach out and help. They don’t have to go through this alone. It may not be a direct benefit, but people will see that it is OK to reach out and get help,” said USUSA President Trevor Olsen.

Mental health awareness is becoming more and more important on campus. Many students and community members have been affected or know someone who struggles with a mental illness, he said.

“When I started doing research for other things, this came up, and after I heard the number of suicides and attempted suicides on campus, I knew that I needed to do something,” Olsen said.

Many other college campuses across the country participate in similar walks as well.

“This is a great way to bring all of our students and community together and say, ‘Hey, we are going to focus on this,'” said Rachael Fresh, a member of the President’s Cabinet.

Those putting on the walk hope will allow many more people who are struggling to come out of the darkness and receive the help they need.

“Once you start talking to people about it you realize that there are more people than you would expect that have been affected by it,” Fresh said.

—roniastephen@gmail.com

@RoniALake