Student Mental Health Club prioritizes culture and community to combat stigma

Several student organizations have been established at Michigan State University with the mission of supporting students in their mental health struggles. At a predominantly white university like MSU, some of these clubs work specifically with underrepresented student communities.

According to the Registrar’s Office University admission data, for the fall 2023 semester, the student population will be 64.4% white. In a predominantly white environment, students of color face unique struggles in finding and connecting with peers who share their cultural experiences with mental health.

Bailey Parker, a second-year computer science student, said carving out a space for community connection is essential for the mental health of students who don’t feel like they have a safe place to express themselves. Stated. Parker is a member of She’s Sistas That Care, a club focused on black women’s mental health.

“Just being a black woman[in a predominantly white institution]puts you up against the ultimate challenge,” Parker said. “We come together as a community to talk about these things because, honestly, there’s nowhere else to go on campus, especially in a community that wasn’t built for us.”

Sistas That Care is one of several community-focused mental health organizations. This category also includes Spartan Shifa, which is dedicated to serving MSU’s Muslim community, and WE ARE SAATH MSU, which serves the university’s South Asian community.

sisters who care

Sistas That Care is a new student organization officially registered this year that aims to create a sisterhood of Black women focused on mental health and community service. Parker said she joined the group because it provides a safe space for Black women to talk about their unique mental health experiences.

Some of these common experiences include not seeing Black women professors and students in the classroom, feeling like opportunities are unequally distributed because of their identity, and the overall feeling on campus That includes not being represented, Parker said.

Kennedy Hairston, a senior in the communications department, said Sistus That Care has been a “game changer” for many students who have struggled with the emotions seen at Michigan State University. She said feeling connected to a community plays an important role in someone’s mental health.

“This year, I have met people who have been attending MSU for a long time, but have felt very isolated over the past few years, like they don’t have a community,” Hairston said. “Having a community of people who you can relate to and who you can truly be yourself with makes a huge difference in feeling seen, heard, and valued.”

In addition to discussing how members experience mental health at MSU, Chamia Elmoor, senior lecturer in psychology, said the club also discussed the barriers that were often put in place within families around the discussion of mental health. He said that he is defeating the For her and many of her colleagues, mental health has been an off-limits topic since her childhood, she said.

“It’s important for us to have a platform to know that mental health is not an issue. It’s okay to talk about it here,” Elmoore said. “There is a space here in our community where Black women can talk about it and discuss it.”

Hairston said she loves working with Sistas That Care to help them not only improve their own mental health, but to actively give back to those around them.

“By being there for each other and filling our own cups, we can fill the cups around our community,” Hairston said.

Spartan Shifa

Spartan Shifa also spoke out about mental health stigma after several years of work within the Muslim Student Association, and recently registered as its own organization. The club’s goal is to create a space for Muslim students to connect through shared experiences and feel safe to be vulnerable when it comes to their mental health.

Zainab Mehdi, a junior in psychology, said Shifa has a mission unlike any club she has seen before. She got involved and eventually became lead facilitator because the club was passionate about having difficult conversations that are often ignored within the Muslim community.

From topics such as the harmfulness of hustle culture to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Zainab said one of the club’s key characteristics is that it tackles a variety of issues at different levels.

“Many of the people who come to our community are either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants, many first- or second-generation Americans,” Zainab said. “We don’t really have other spaces to really talk about these things and issues that we’re going through, so we have a lot of sharing where we can be open and vulnerable together. I have experience.”

Zainab said many Muslim students also experience cultural disregard for mental health issues. Shifa is fostering a community where she can connect through the struggle of balancing cultural and religious values ​​with life in the United States, Zainab said.

“Living life as a Muslim in America in 2023 is really complex and complex right now,” Zainab said. “We try to stay true to the morals and values ​​that we hold so dear, but sometimes it’s difficult to do that. That’s why it’s so important to have a platform for the Muslim community here. I think so.”

Attending Michigan State University means being far from home for many students, so Spartan Shifa provides a connection to the Islamic faith and culture that can be strained at university. Zainab said.

“Gathering with other Muslims and having these conversations keeps us connected to our origins and our roots, which is further nurtured,” Zainab said. “It’s also really great and really, really important to be a part of a PWI like MSU.”

We are SAATH MSU

The name ‘WE ARE SAATH’ incorporates the Hindi word ‘saas’, meaning together, to further the club’s mission of coming together for mental health awareness. The organization targets South Asians at his MSU. But club president and director of nursing Umme Haque said it was open to all communities who wanted to break down the stigma around mental health.

Hoque joined WE ARE SAATH during her junior year because exploring and talking about mental health as a South Asian woman is important to her. She found her passion in creating a safe space to explore mental health for her colleagues and assumed her leadership role.

“In my community, mental health isn’t really researched, it’s not talked about, and it’s also stigmatized,” Hawk said. “We wanted more people in our community to have a safe space to talk about mental health and discover parts of themselves. Because that’s not encouraged in the community.”

Hawk said there is a stigma against mental health in South Asian communities, so having a space to acknowledge mental health is an important first step for students looking to better themselves.

She said many of her parents’ generation often dismissed mental health as “insane” and breaking this belief was a priority for the new generation.

“For a new generation, if we introduce this subject and provide a safe space for them to be vulnerable, they will at least be aware of this important issue in themselves.” Hoku said. “Even in my personal life, I see how that stigma affects the families around me, limiting their ability to reach out and seek help.”

Hawk said she and other members of the organization encourage connections between communities to further combat stigma, as many other communities face similar stigma.

Mr Hawke said fostering connections with the community is essential to improving mental health as it creates a sense of belonging. She said bringing together like-minded people who care about mental health can help students combat feelings of alienation they may feel in other areas of their lives.

“It’s also important to make sure there are people in your community who are prioritizing this topic,” Hawk said. “That’s why I think having a community-based mental health organization is so impactful for individuals in that particular community. There are other people out there who look like you. You get it…they practice the same culture as you, reach out similarly, and they are aware of their mental health issues.”