Curriculum Infusion as College Student Mental Health Promotion Strategy

Abstract

This article describes efforts to increase faculty involvement in suicide prevention and mental health promotion via curriculum infusion. The participants were faculty, staff, and 659 students enrolled in classes of a large eastern university from Fall 2007–Spring 2011. Counselors, health educators, and medical providers recruited faculty from a variety of disciplines to develop mental health promotion programs in their courses. This article describes seven such collaborations, illustrating how faculty was able to encourage students to see connections between their academic content and real world college experience, and the implications for mental health. As a result of these collaborations, faculty had a deeper understanding of mental health issues and resources on campus and an appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate in novel ways. After curriculum infusion was introduced to the campus faculty referrals to counseling did not noticeably increase, but there was increased faculty engagement in mental health programs and promotion.

Keywords:

• college student mental health
• curriculum infusion
• health promotion

Acknowledgments

This article was developed, in part, under grant number SM57851 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The views, opinions, and content of this publication are those of the authors and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), SAMHSA, or Health and Human Services (HHS), and should not be construed as such.

The authors would also like to thank all the members of the Mental Health Awareness Committee, especially Liz Heyden, Jim Bowman, Mahrin Kader, and Nicole Gardea, as well as all of the faculty members who allowed us into their classrooms.