REALITY BYTES

Ninety-eight percent of MWSU students have felt some stress in the past two weeks.


Eighty-six percent indicated the source of their stress was academics.


Fifty-two percent indicated that they coped with stress by taking taking care of their physical health (exercising, eating healthy foods, taking a nap/sleep, etc.).

PIP
MWSU logo
Suicide Prevention and Awareness
MWSU Counseling Center
MWSU Health Center

MWSU PIP Contacts

Primary:
Katie Miron
Director of Counseling
816-271-4327
kmiron@missouriwestern.edu

Suicide Prevention:

  • MWSU Counseling Center: 100% free and confidential counseling for all Missouri Western State University students that are enrolled in at least 1 credit hour.
  • Ask.Listen.Refer.: Missouri Western State University Suicide Prevention Training Program.
  • Suicide Prevention and Awareness: MWSU website that lists suicide prevention resources.
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 is now active across the United States. This new, shorter phone number will make it easier for people to remember and access mental health crisis services. (Please note, the previous 1-800-273-TALK (8255) number will continue to function indefinitely.).
  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor. Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support via a medium people already use and trust: text.

Emotional Support Groups:

  • Mourning Star (Loss of a Child Support Group):
    Green Valley Baptist Church
    3110 Cook Road
    St. Joseph, MO 64506
    (816) 279-3621
    First Wednesday of the month from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
  • Grief & Loss Support:
    St. Joseph, MO
    Open to anyone grieving a loss.
    Call Kimi Yokayama with Mosaic Life Care Hospice at (816) 271-7190 before attending.
  • Widowed Too Young:
    St. Joseph, MO
    For those 60 and younger that have lost a spouse.
    Call Kimi Yokayama with Mosaic Life Care Hospice at (816) 271-7190 before attending.

Sexual Assault/Domestic Abuse Support:

  • Women’s Domestic Violence Support Group (only for women staying at the shelter): YWCA St. Joseph, 816-232-4481.
  • YWCA St. Joseph: Available to those who are facing abuse, in need of child care, pregnancy services, or information around social justice work. We are here to assist those in need within our community. With a 24-hour domestic abuse hotline, 24-hour sexual assault hotline, and full-time hours five days a week, members of our community can receive the support they need.
    304 North 8th Street
    St. Joseph, Missouri
    Office: 816-232-4481
    24-Hour Hotline: 816-232-1225 or 1-800-653-1477
    Email: frontoffice@ywcasj.org
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. Contacts to The Hotline can expect highly-trained, expert advocates to offer free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages.
    1.800.799.SAFE (7233)
    Text “START” to 88788

Shyness Resources:

  • American Psychological Association: Shyness
  • Psychology Today: Shyness

Codependency:


Drive Safe, Drive Smart Awareness:


Test Anxiety:

  • What is test anxiety
    • It’s being so afraid of, or worried about a test, that the performance suffers.
  • Effects of test anxiety
    • low grades
    • body, such as headache, or stomach upset (butterflies)
    • mind, such as feeling panic, anger, depression, or memory lapses
  • Some common explanations
    • poor study habits
    • fearing failure
    • comparing yourself to others
    • worrying about the future
  • How to prepare
    • take part in every class
    • keep up with assignments
    • ask questions if you are confused about a concept, or idea
    • take notes, and review them
    • talk to your professor early, find out what the format of the test is, or the material that might be presented, or even practice tests
  • Make a study plan
    • schedule short blocks of study time
    • study in a well-lit spot, with no noise
    • flash cards, outlines, or charts can help retain information.

Bystander effect:  The bystander effect is when a situation occurs where there is potential harm to an individual, people in groups are less likely to assist, as opposed to a single individual exposed to the situation.

Here are a few videos from YouTube for examples:

Girl being abducted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIvGIwLcIuw
Man very sick and in distress: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSsPfbup0ac&feature=related


Personal Issues Data

  • Nationally
    • 75% of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 24.
    • 1 in 5 young adults will experience a mental health condition during college.
    • 1 in 5 college students are affected with anxiety and depression, which are the top reasons college students seek counseling.
    • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 15-34.
    • Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.— 43.8 million, or 18.5% — experiences mental illness in a given year.
    • Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the U.S.— 9.8 million, or 4.0% — experiences a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.
    • 1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias.
  • In Missouri
    • 48% of Missouri college students indicate that they feel stressed.
    • 26% feel overwhelmed with stress, and 18% report that stress considerably impacted or interfered with academic life.
    • The main sources of stress for Missouri college students include school/academics, financial concerns, future pans, and time management. Other sources of stress include jobs, dating/relationship with partners, family, friends, roommates, physical health, organizations/responsibilities/athletics, and mental health issues.
    • 6% of Missouri college students do not feel like they can go to anyone on campus when a personal concern arises. However, most Missouri college students turn to friends/peers both on- and off-campus.
    • In the past year, 57% of college students in Missouri have experienced anxiety, 31% of have experienced major depression, and 20% have experienced chronic sleep issues.
    • 44% of Missouri college students indicate to have had suicidal thoughts, and 23% of Missouri college students have had suicidal thoughts in the past year.