UF Student Government wants to show students that not all mental health struggles can be seen.
Starting today, the SG Health Affairs Cabinet is hosting Not All Wounds Are Visible, SG’s first Mental Health Awareness Week. SG will host events throughout the week to showcase different mental health issues students face and the resources available to them.
Rachna Sannegowda, the Health Affairs Cabinet director, said it took two months to organize the campaign. Some students might see mental disorders as something that is in their heads, the 19-year-old said.
"This was important for the university to host to break that stigma," she said.
During a cabinet presentation Monday night to SG officials, the cabinet presented statistics about mental health.
One in four college students experiences mental health issues, according to the presentation. Suicide is the second-highest cause of death in 15-to 24-year-olds, with 1,000 suicides on college campuses every year.
Lucas Zhou, a UF information systems freshman, said the week will educate the Student Body on mental health issues.
He said with finals coming up, students will be more stressed.
"I think it’s perfect timing," the 18-year-old said.
Contact Caitlin Ostroff at costroff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ceostroff
