PGSG Mental Health Action Week to address pressures faced by graduate students

Purdue Graduate Student Government’s Mental Health Action Week will take place Oct. 19-23. Organizers hope the lineup of virtual events will facilitate open conversations about mental health issues faced by the graduate student population.

With the unique strains of this semester in mind, the various education, conversation and relaxation events are designed specifically for graduate students, who often work as research assistants, instructors or employees in addition to maintaining their own academic progress. The graduate student event continues work started during the inaugural, campus-wide Purdue Mental Health Awareness Week which took place Feb. 17-21.

Graduate students interested in attending an event should RSVP using the links provided. Events will take place via Zoom and will be made available after the event on the https://www.purduegradstudents.com/life PGSG website.

Monday, Oct. 19

10 a.m.-noon. Addressing graduate student stress during a pandemic (Drew Zaitsoff, Counseling and Psychological Services)

5-7 p.m. Mental health in college: Normalizing the conversation (Marisa Exter, College of Education)

Wednesday, Oct. 21

10-11 a.m. Racial trauma discussion panel (PGSG Life)

5-6:30 p.m. Mental wellness (Will Evans, Recreation & Wellness)

7-9 p.m. PGSG Craft Night: Sharpie Mugs (PGSG; registration currently at capacity)

Thursday, Oct. 22

10-11:30 a.m. Mental wellness (Brandi Christiansen, Mental Health America)

5-6 p.m. Strategies during the pandemic (Purdue cultural centers)

7-8 p.m. Yoga on Demand: in-person and virtual (GroupX, Recreation & Wellness)

Friday, Oct. 23

1-3 p.m. "Looking at the glass half full": A conversation (Andy O’Neall, CAPS and PGSG officers)

The events are made possible through partnerships with Purdue Student Government, the LGBTQ Center, Purdue Recreation & Wellness, the Department of Psychological Sciences, the College of Education, Counseling and Psychological Services and Mental Health America.

Writer: Christy McCarter
Source: Pratik Kashyap, pgsg.life@gmail.com