The Mental Health Committee, founded in October of 2020, consists of a team of students who work together to spread awareness of mental health issues across campus. By holding events around campus, to putting together bags for those in quarantine, and holding lectures from specialists, MHC has worked for over a year to help students be more comfortable about the conversation of mental health. 

At the beginning of the 2020 semester the Head Game Project was started, a group focused on the mental health of student athletes. “I had first brought up the possibility to student senate last year, and how it would be great to have a student body group”, said Meghan Gibbons ‘23, co-chair of the MHC. When the SGA president, Richard Flandreau ‘22, heard this idea he quickly approved the idea, appointing Gibbons and Chris DeMarkey ‘23 co-chairs of the committee. DeMarkey backed up Gibbons by adding, “there was a huge need, especially still in the thick of Covid, and being physically apart from everyone for so long, it causes a mental toll on everyone.”

MHC quickly began to spread awareness of mental health issues across campus, gaining student members who use their own experiences to help others on campus. Mark Flynn ‘24, a member of MHC, advocates for the open conversation of mental illness. Flynn states, “once I heard about the mental health committee, I found it as a way to not just post on social media, but to actually help reduce the stigma of mental health.” Flynn followed up this claim by explaining that the mental health committee works to educate the student body about the struggles of mental illness. Rose Malloy, ‘23, a member of MHC, explains, “I think it takes the people who are comfortable with their mental health, to stand up and advocate for those who don’t know how to get help yet.”

When asked why the mental health committee does what they do, DeMarkey responded with, “You need to have people looking out for you, people need more focus on other’s mental health not just here at Saint Anselm, but everywhere.” Gibbons followed up by explaining that most students don’t know about all the resources offered on campus and that the committee acts as a middleman to help connect people with help if they want it. Spreading awareness is always at the top of the to-do-list for MHC. Gibbons goes on to email a few of the next steps for MHC by saying, “we have the eating-disorder awareness week approaching, and we plan on holding events and spreading awareness on this issue.”

When asked what advice they offer for those who don’t know how to get help the responses were simple yet empowering for the student body. Flynn replied simply, “don’t be afraid, it’s the most important part … if you’re struggling one day say that you’re struggling, if you don’t want to talk about something say you don’t want to talk about it.” He goes on to elaborate on this answer by explaining since students are on campus for four years, then they should make those four years happier. Malloy shares the story where at a family member’s college, they had witnessed a death by suicide and she explains, “I don’t want our school to ever have to go through such a sad loss like their school did.”