College Students & Mental Health Part 1

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, with nearly 50,000 lives lost last year. And while suicide is often a taboo topic, prevention is possible, but it requires intervention from friends, family and community members. In this episode, we speak with Meghan Goldbeck and Denita LeBlanc about the important work the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention is doing to help eliminate the loss of life due to suicide.

After more than a year of remote and hybrid learning environments, as well as quarantines, social distancing and mask mandates, the adjustment back to in-person classrooms may be a difficult transition for K-12 students. In this episode, we speak with Meg Hayden, head nurse at the Oxford School District, to learn more about how to prepare for the transition and how to support our students.

In this episode, Dr. Geralyn Datz, psychologist, joins us to discuss the seemingly mysterious topic of psychological testing. We walk through the purpose of psychological tests and what to expect when undergoing one of these examinations. Dr. Datz is trained in advanced psychological testing techniques and works as a psychologist at Southern Behavioral Medicine Associates in Hattiesburg, Miss.

In this episode of South of Fine, we talk with Rebecca Turner, registered dietician and host of Good Things with Rebecca Turner on SuperTalk Radio, about food anxieties and eating disorders.
Disordered eating and overall anxiety around food typically evolves as a result of individual and cultural factors. Eating disorders are not a conscious choice. People suffering oftentimes do not understand the severity of their illness and choose to not seek help. In this episode of South of Fine, we walk through the different types of eating disorders, why they may arise, and how to seek help.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we speak with Kay Daneault and Melody Worsham of the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi to get their thoughts on the stigma surrounding mental health in Mississippi and where COVID has left progress.

Mothers take on various roles caring for their children on a daily basis. With the implementation of stay-at-home orders and virtual school this past year, moms faced an increased level of mental health struggles. Many mothers face feelings of fatigue, anxiety and loss of self. These feelings have no doubt been exacerbated over the past year.  In this episode, we sit down with Carrie Gholston, PMHNP-BC (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner- Board Certified) at the Madison clinic of Right Track Medical Group, to discuss some of the mental health concerns mothers face.

There isn't a person on earth who hasn't experienced anxiety but at what point do we need to seek professional help for the issue? Is stress anxiety? Does anxiety affect our physical health? Dr. Johanna Lu from Right Track Medical Group offers a bit of clarity on the subject.  

In this episode of South of Fine, we chat with Active Minds student leaders from the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University about how this generation of college students views mental health, the impacts of COVID, and their mission to end the stigma around mental health on college campuses. 

Most college students ended 2020 with continued uncertainty. Normalcy has not returned to our college campuses — or our lives. For many students, the ongoing chaos of COVID-19 continues to cause (or add to) mental health challenges. In the first episode of 2020, we speak with April Estill Lomax, LCSW,  and Michelle Howard, LCSW, of the University of Southern Mississippi's Student Counseling Center, about the state of mental health on college campuses and how students can prepare to come back this month. 

2020 has been a tough year for many of us. The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects have left people feeling scared, alone, stressed and anxious.In the latest episode of South of Fine, Right Track Medical Director Dr. Katherine Pannel discusses the lasting impacts to our mental health and what silver lining may be found.