TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Florida State University\u2019s College of Medicine is using a program called Early Alert to check in on the mental health of students and faculty. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to access distressed students before their symptoms worsen,\u201d Cheryl Porter, Ph.D said. Porter serves as the assistant dean of students for FSU\u2019s College of Medicine. \u201cKnowing that they can rely on a weekly check-in changes the game, because they don\u2019t have to come into an office or tell someone that they\u2019re struggling, they\u2019re being asked.\u201d <\/p>\n
The program sends a weekly text message to students, asking them to rate their overall well-being for that week on a scale of zero to 10. If their responses are on the lower end of the scale or a downward trend is noticed, Porter says the student will be given mental health resources for support. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur health science students are under an immense amount of stress \u2013 whether this is from the academic rigor of our programs or if this is related to financial debt, or even just the weight of the dream,\u201d Porter said. \u201cWhen we add all of that stress to the stress and responsibility of caring for patients, it can become overwhelming for students.\u201d <\/p>\n
Nicholas Toney is a first-year student in the College of Medicine, studying as a physician assistant student. He said this has been his career goal since middle school. <\/p>\n
More Tallahassee News<\/p>\n
While pursuing his dream, he also understood the demand, which is why he enrolled in the Early Alert program. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something that we were all given an option for and it sounded like a good idea, because I knew it was going to be stressful going into this, and I knew that it would be a good resource to have in my back pocket just in case,\u201d Toney said. <\/p>\n
He said it\u2019s important, even while trying to be successful, to prioritize your well-being. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, you\u2019re a healthcare provider too. You have to take care of yourself so that way you can make sure that you take care of your patients,\u201d Toney said. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get caught up and kind of lose sight of those things when you\u2019re in school.\u201d <\/p>\n
Porter points to research from the Association of American Medical Colleges, showing medical students and physician assistant students have higher rates of anxiety and depression than the general population. Some studies also suggest that about 40% of students experience anxiety, while about 10% have suicidal thoughts. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt really makes it more important for our students and for our faculty and staff, our clinicians, to be aware of their own well-being,\u201d Porter said. \u201cAnd this is one of things that we hope early alert is teaching all of us is to check in with ourselves so that when we\u2019re in that clinic, when we\u2019re taking care of those patients, that we are bringing our best selves and our whole self to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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