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Alison Malmon speaks about mental health at ETSU. (Contributed by ETSU)
In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, Alison Malmon, founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization ActiveMind, came to ETSU to share how suicide has impacted her life.
Malmon’s first lecture at ETSU took place on September 27 in the auditorium of Brown Hall and was hosted by the Counseling Center. Katie Ward, a graduate of the Counseling Center, helped organize the event.
Ward said the Active Minds chapter at ETSU is relatively new, which is why the counseling center was excited to bring Malmo on as a guest speaker.
“Basically, we really want to bring the conversation about suicide prevention to campus [because] He doesn’t talk,” Ward said. “It is not forbidden. It’s not something to run away from,” he said.
Malmon’s presentation started at 7pm and lasted for an hour. She begins by telling the story of her brother Brian, who took his own life at the age of 22. Malmon was just 18 years old at the time.
Brian had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder before his suicide, although he had been experiencing symptoms for three years without telling anyone.
With her brother’s death, Malmon saw the importance of demystifying mental health, which led her to create the first chapter of Mindfulness at the University of Pennsylvania in 2001, at a young age.
“I knew from the beginning that we needed to create this conversation about mental health in schools so that people like Brian know they have the opportunity to reach out for help,” Malmon said.
In the year Even in 2001, Malmon saw generational disparities in mental health treatment, which is why she started Active Minds on College Campuses. Because the younger generations were more open to approaching the issue of mental health; So they can be the generation to make a difference.
After graduating from college with a degree in psychology and sociology, Malmon turned her student group into a nonprofit organization.
Today, ActiveMind is the nation’s leading mental health organization impacting young adults. With more than 700 chapters at schools across the US, including ETSU’s chapter, Active Minds is constantly growing and spreading awareness.
“Mental health is not just mental illness—it’s how we take care of ourselves every day,” Malmon said. “And even if we don’t all have mental illness, we all have mental health and we need to talk about it. We need to take care of it every day.
With her story, Malmon spoke about the importance of language around mental health topics, the need to stop using mental illness as a label for ourselves and others, and instead use the mindset of a model for change.
Malmon sees the future of mental health awareness as being in the hands of younger generations; She describes the battle for mental health awareness as “the final frontier.” In this way, Active Minds is providing the tools needed to continue an open conversation around mental health.
The need for these tools is certainly urgent, as suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, and 39% of college students experience serious mental health problems, according to ActiveMind.
“It is your generation that is changing this for America,” Malmon said.
Going forward, Malmon advises everyone to take advantage of mental health resources available to them, connect with friends and family more often, and keep the conversation about mental health going.
“Don’t wait for a crisis to say anything,” Malmon said. “Not every suicide can be prevented, but suicide can be prevented.”
For more information on Active Minds, visit www.activeminds.org Or follow on Instagram: @active_minds
For more information about the counseling center and its resources, visit www.etsu.edu/students/counseling Or follow on Instagram: @etsucunselingcenter
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