About one in three adults in the United States report feeling lonely. Active Minds at Oakland University works to destigmatize conversations about mental health, promote holistic wellness, and encourage unity across the campus community. By raising awareness and providing resources, the organization seeks to create a safe environment where students can discuss mental health without fear of judgment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to change the conversation around mental health on campus. We do that by raising awareness of mental health concerns, building connections to resources, and fostering a safe and open environment for mental health to remove stigma,\u201d Evie Edwards, vice president of Active Minds, said. The group emphasizes that mental wellness is a shared responsibility, and creating community support is key to helping students navigate challenges.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Active Minds hosted guest speaker Samuel Walker, leader of H.O.P.E., during their meeting. The event attracted both new and returning students who wanted to engage in conversations about mental health. Walker highlighted the importance of community support, particularly during January, which is recognized as Mental Wellness Month, encouraging students to seek connections that support their mental well-being.<\/p>\n
The discussion focused on societal pressures and their impact on men\u2019s mental health. Men often struggle to remain authentic while navigating cultural expectations, which can create internal conflict and prevent them from accessing resources. Active Minds noted that recognizing these pressures is the first step toward breaking down barriers and encouraging individuals to seek support when needed.<\/p>\n
As the event concluded, Active Minds emphasized the importance of community. Shared support helps transform isolating struggles into collective experiences, ensuring that students do not feel alone in facing challenges. \u201cEveryone has mental health challenges from time to time, and it\u2019s nothing to be ashamed of,\u201d Edwards said, encouraging students to reach out when needed.<\/p>\n
Community support depends on social connectedness, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. When students feel supported, they are more likely to share their experiences and access resources. Without this support, individuals may feel isolated, lack guidance, and experience heightened loneliness.<\/p>\n
Oakland University offers numerous resources for students struggling with mental health, including the Uwill hotline, Grizz Recovery, and the Oakland University Counseling Center. Active Minds also provides resources, connecting students with free workshops led by trained professionals and offering both on- and off-campus support. The organization advocates for student concerns and helps navigate issues related to policies or campus experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen students bring concerns to us about policies or personal experiences on campus, we make sure to contact the appropriate officials,\u201d Edwards said. Active Minds strives to amplify student voices and create a positive impact on campus. For students interested in advocacy, Edwards recommends joining any mental health organization and speaking up to help normalize discussions around mental health.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best advice that I have is to join any mental health organization and don\u2019t be afraid to speak up. Besides Active Minds, multiple on-campus, local, and national organizations can provide you with different advocacy work,\u201d she said. Edwards added that even a single voice can make a difference: \u201cUse your voice; you never know who needs to hear it. Even one person talking about mental health can normalize the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"About one in three adults in the United States report feeling lonely. Active Minds at Oakland University works…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":173667,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":{"0":"post-173666","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-oakland","8":"tag-oakland","9":"tag-oakland-headlines","10":"tag-oakland-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=173666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173666\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=173666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=173666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=173666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}