RESEARCH | CASE STUDIES| STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS
Apply the latest research to strengthen mental wellbeing and prevent stress-related disorders in your communities.
Chief Editor: Nadine Wilches, LCSW
source: xkcd
Case Study: Enhancing Wellbeing for Childhood Cancer Survivors through a Socioecological Approach
This case study demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of using the EQUIP model and the 5-Elements framework within the MAP software to conduct a benchmark assessment of wellbeing in CCS participating in the ECH program. The findings highlight the importance of rapport and relatability as key protective factors and provide valuable insights for program refinement and future research. The collaboration between MAH and AMOM underscores the potential of community partnerships to address the complex mental health needs of CCS and their families through needs assessment and strategic planning and provides a tool for impact assessment.
College Students Don’t Need Fixing
The common narrative surrounding student mental health often assumes that stress and adversity indicate something is wrong with students and that they need to be "fixed." However, this perspective fails to recognize the normalcy of stressors in college life and the crucial role institutions play in fostering resilience rather than pathologizing challenges. The Okanagan Charter and network of Health Promoting Campuses champion an ecosystemic view of mental health, emphasizing the institution’s responsibility in shaping an environment that nurtures students' well-being and success.
At the same time, growing awareness around mental health has led to reduced stigma and greater use of counseling services, which is a meaningful step forward. The growing visibility of mental health concerns has sparked this positive shift and, naturally, colleges respond to this demand through counseling. However, relying solely on clinical interventions positions mental health as an individual problem to be treated, rather than a system issue to be prevented. To move forward, institutions must take proactive steps to create environments that support resilience.
Fostering Resilience in High-Performing College Students
The challenge of achieving academic excellence within higher education is often dual-sided. While the achievements of high-performing students, particularly those recognized by prestigious organizations and honor societies, are celebrated for their achievements, a closer look reveals a complex connection between academic success and overall well-being. These students, destined to have successful futures, deal with unique circumstances and challenges that demand a more thorough understanding of their needs. A framework that acknowledges the link between mental health and academic performance is essential to provide a foundation for these hardworking students to flourish. Furthermore, research demonstrates a strong correlation between psychological well-being and academic achievement, emphasizing the need for a thorough and comprehensive approach (Mustafa et al., 2020).
Cost of Prevention vs Treatment in Mental Healthcare
Mental health challenges represent a significant and growing issue all over the world. While treatment services are crucial, a proactive approach focusing on prevention offers substantial economic advantages. This is evident in studies indicating that for every $1 invested in preventative mental healthcare, approximately $2 can be saved in treatment costs (Doppelt 2025). By addressing risk factors early and promoting mental wellbeing, we can reduce the prevalence and severity of conditions, in turn alleviating the escalating costs associated with long-term treatment and lost productivity (O’Connell et al., 2009). Organizations like MindArch Health, with their focus on prevention and accessible mental healthcare solutions, are strategically designed to contribute to this shift, ultimately allowing for a more sustainable and economically stable mental health landscape.
Prioritizing Mental Health: How Colleges Can Meet Student Expectations
For college students today, higher education is about more than just earning a degree. It’s truly about finding an environment that fosters personal growth and supports mental wellbeing. As young adults, searching for an institution that prioritizes mental health is essential. In fact, 40% report mental health is a significant barrier to enrollment according to the Cleveland Clinic. Colleges that recognize this, take proactive steps to support student wellbeing, and cultivate a thriving community are more likely to attract students looking for a well-rounded and supportive college experience. Mental health has become a main concern for today’s students, with many expecting colleges to integrate mental wellbeing into their academic life. A school's commitment to holistic wellbeing can set it apart, making it a top choice for prospective students. In fact, the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health resources are now viewed as fundamental to a good quality college experience (Kuh, 2003).
Pediatrician’s Silent Struggle: Perspectives on Behavioral Health Beyond the Check-Up
This report summarizes findings from interviews conducted with five pediatricians in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY, aimed at understanding their practices, challenges, and needs regarding children's mental and behavioral health. Outreach was conducted with thirty offices via phone and email, indicating an almost 17% response rate. This average response rate for cold outreach may indicate some connection with the topic as well as the potential time constraints and high patient volume these professionals face. The interviews revealed a consistent commitment to addressing behavioral health, alongside significant systemic and practical challenges.
Breaking Barriers to First-Generation Student Success
First-generation college students make up over half of undergraduate students in the United States, yet their graduation rate is significantly lower than their peers – only 24% earn a degree, compared to 59% of their continuing-generation counterparts. This disparity is largely driven by the lack of resources and guidance available to help them navigate higher education successfully. Given that a college degree opens doors to better job opportunities and greater civic engagement, it is essential for institutions to implement systemic changes that support first-generation students’ success.
Wellbeing Framework Study: Protective Factors and Mental Health
Wilches, N., Dominguez, G., & Khan, M. (2025). Wellbeing Framework Study: Protective Factors and Mental Health. This study explored mental health through a preventative lens, using the 5-Elements of Systemic Wellbeing Framework (secure, regulated, valued, decided, related). Two consecutive surveys with 60 questions were administered to 424 participants recruited via online platforms, flyers, and peer networks. The results highlighted "Decided" and "Related" as strong elements, while "Regulated" and "Secure" were areas of vulnerability. The study also found potential disparities across gender, race, and childhood income. The key predictive goal, "Increase Security By Improving Equity," suggests that a sense of security and fair treatment are crucial for mental wellbeing. The findings underscore the importance of proactive interventions and addressing systemic barriers to promote mental health.
Leading with Emotional Agility: Building Resilient Organizations
This article explores the critical role of emotional agility in navigating organizational change, particularly in sectors like education, non-profit, healthcare, and higher education. These fields often face unpredictable shifts. Emotional agility enhances an organization's readiness for change, improves performance, and fosters innovation. It also contributes to a positive organizational culture and effective leadership. By developing emotional agility, organizations can better adapt, thrive, and fulfill their missions amidst uncertainty.
The Impact of Environment on Mental Health: Creating Supportive Spaces
A supportive environment leads to increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and improved morale, ultimately contributing to a thriving workforce and a stronger bottom line as well as better educational settings. By fostering a culture of open communication, providing access to resources, and actively addressing workplace and school stressors, leaders can create a climate where people feel valued, supported, and resilient.
The Importance of Faculty Wellbeing to Student Mental Health in Higher Education
The importance of our environment’s impact on our mental health is essential to consider, especially in higher education. Faculty set the tone for a healthy classroom environment, making it essential to prioritize faculty wellbeing to support students in higher education. With mental health issues increasing in college campuses, faculty members are on the front lines of student mental health. Considering that “faculty are in a position to witness the demeanor of students, week in and week out” it is evident that faculty members are a large component of students' lives.
Organization's Can Self-Diagnose
Integrating data analytics into mental health programming could be beneficial for enhancing outcomes on a population-wide scale. Through implementing data analytics, organizations can acquire insights that guide targeted interventions, which result in improved mental health outcomes for entire communities.
Exemplifying Solutions: Organizational Behavioral Change
Mental health challenges are quite common among college/university students, with the majority of students meeting the criteria for at least one mental-health issue. The daily psychological stress they experience often results in both mental and physical health problems. Further, mental health can lead to depression, suicidal ideation, or suicide. Therefore organizational change related to mental health can be implemented in schools to help prevent students from poor mental health.
Examining the Mental and Behavioral Health Vulnerabilities of Child Cancer Survivors
Children are surviving pediatric cancer at remarkable rates due to advancements in modern medicine. However, the early cancer experience can have long-term negative effects on cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. In this review, we examine the vulnerabilities, science, impact, implications and alignment of the 5-Elements of Systemic Wellbeing Framework with A Moment of Magic’s Express Create Heal Programs.
College Students Vulnerability to Mental Health Problems: A Review of the Research
College students face a variety of mental health challenges. There are nine vulnerabilities in particular that increase the risk of developing mental health or behavioral disorders. These vulnerabilities include risky behavior, serious life events, household dysfunction, learning and development problems, abuse, economic disadvantage, chronic illness, poor access to support, and discrimination. By understanding these vulnerabilities, we can work to create a more supportive campus environment and help students thrive.
The MAP Software addresses your Community Ecosystem: Like a Gardener’s toolkit combined with expert advice.
Your organization is like a ecosystem that requires a way of understanding the essential needs of the population, best practices for supporting a thriving ecosystem and a toolkit for implementation. That's the role the MAP software plays in your organization.
Predictive Analytics In Mental Health Prevention for Colleges/Universities
Colleges/universities could benefit from using predictive analytics in mental health prevention. Predictive analytics is a quintessential type of advanced analysis that uses past data in conjunction with statistical modeling, data mining, and machine learning, to predict future outcomes. Predictive analytics is crucial for mental health prevention especially considering the recent wave of mental health crises on college campuses.
PRESS RELEASE: MAP Software Launch 9/6/2024
We are excited to announce the official launch of our MAP software tool, helping you predict and prevent mental health disorders population-wide.
Check out our press release. 9/6/2024
MindArch Health Inc. Launches MAP Version 1.0.0
The value of prevention over intervention
What’s the emotional and economic value of a shift from reactive to proactive mental health practices?
The 5-Elements: Planting Seeds
What if we were more curious about how to prevent mental and behavioral disorders instead of simply treating them?
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