May is Mental Health Month — Purdue has behavioral health resources to assist

May 12, 2025 Purdue Today

In order to raise awareness and celebrate mental health, May has been recognized annually as Mental Health Month since May 1949. Mental Health America (MHA) reports that 1 in 5 Americans will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year. Additionally, MHA statistics show that anxiety and depression are among the most common mental illnesses.

As a reminder, the Center for Healthy Living (CHL) is offering a Healthy Boiler workshop that supports mental health. Titled “Coping and Acceptance With Depression and Anxiety,” the workshop takes place May 14 via Teams and is an example of ways in which Purdue supports the mental well-being of its faculty and staff.

Amanda Hathcock, behavioral health counselor at the CHL, will present the workshop, which covers a brief breakdown of acceptance theory and how it applies to coping and managing depression and anxiety as well as associated symptoms.

Finding a sense of calm and focusing on well-being when you are having mental health concerns can be daunting in our fast-paced society. It can be especially challenging to know where to start. MHA encourages individuals to take action to protect their mental health and overall well-being.

There are actions individuals can take this month (and all year), including:

Attend the “Coping and Acceptance With Depression and Anxiety” workshop from noon-1 p.m. ET, May 14. Register via the Healthy Boiler portal.
Learn more about the behavioral health resources — including your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) — available to you from Purdue and beyond.
Take a mental health test.
Utilize MHA’s Mental Health Month Action Guide 2025.

“Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being,” said Candace Shaffer, associate vice president for benefits and payroll in Human Resources. “With our Healthy Boiler Wellness Program, we continue to enhance and add health and wellness programs and tools to the Purdue community, including those that support behavioral health, like our EAP and Healthy Boiler workshops. We want employees to know we have resources available to them should they need mental health support or assistance.”

As a testament to the commitment the university places on mental health as part of overall wellness, Purdue University was awarded a 2024 Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health at Silver and a 2025 Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health at Platinum by MHA. MHA recognizes Bell Seal recipients as meeting or exceeding the national standards for best workplace mental health practices. See this May 7 Purdue Today article for more information.

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES  

To assist faculty and staff: 

Faculty and staff can review the Mental Health Resources webpage for a variety of resources that support the behavorial health pillar of the Healthy Boiler Program, as well as for information on Purdue’s health plan coverage for mental health and substance abuse.  

To assist students:  

Faculty and staff who work with students or have a student at home can direct them to the resources below for behavioral health assistance. Note: United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) — medical plan provider for students and graduate students — offers 292 unique in-network mental health providers serving at various locations within Tippecanoe County. The list is available here. Additionally, students have access to HealthiestYou, which provides virtual access to mental health care as part of UHCSR’s plan. All services are free for students covered under the UHCSR insurance plan.    

Office of the Dean of Students 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) 

Therapy Services at CAPS 
Self-Help Resources 
Group Therapy 
CAPS YouTube channel 
NAMI On Campus — A free, virtual support group on campus
Thriving Campus — Service that provides students a way to search for mental health providers in many areas, locally and across the country 
Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) — Web- and app-based mental health resource