Active Minds@UD will host events such as panel discussions, Silver Wristband Campaigns for the Brain, movie screenings, keynote speakers, stress-relief activities, and 5K Walk/Runs to raise money for mental health research. Here are the four basic tenets of the Active Minds mission:

1. Work to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness
Stigma is highly attributable to silence. The fact that people do not, and can not, talk comfortably and openly about mental health issues causes ignorance and misunderstanding. Active Minds’ goal is to break down that wall of silence, and destigmatize mental illness.

2. Educate students about the prevalence of mental illness
Early help-seeking promotes recovery! The signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, and available resources for seeking help, should be common knowledge to all students. By educating students about the prevalence and warning signs of mental illness, and the fact that many mental illnesses first present themselves within the age cohort of 15- 24, Active Minds on Campus encourages students to be aware of their mental health and seek help as soon as help is needed.

3. Expose students to young adults with mental illness
By putting a face on mental illness, and showing students that we are all affected, Active Minds on Campus normalizes mental illness and breaks down the misconception that the mentally ill are only the people seen in the movies or on the streets. Our peers, and others we highly respect, may be diagnosed with a mental illness. But they are able to live full lives, even with their diagnosis.

4. Plan campus-friendly events to attract the university community
The purpose of Active Minds is to reach all members of the community. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a mental illness at any given time – which means that essentially everyone on campus is somehow affected. The goal is to destigmatize mental illness on the whole campus, and promote mental health awareness and good mental health among ALL students!!