1. Summary
Our
Honors
in
Action
(HIA)
project
explored
the
frontiers
of
mental
health,
specifically
the
perception
and
treatment
of
anxiety
disorders.
We
initially
formed
a
research
team
to
explore
innovations
in
the
treatment
of
anxiety.
Based
on
our
research,
we
determined
three
objectives:
o Increase
awareness
of
the
effects
of
anxiety
in
our
community
o Educate
our
community
about
the
innovations
in
the
treatment
of
anxiety
o Introduce
our
community
to
valuable
resources
for
the
treatment
of
anxiety
Through
an
Anxiety
Awareness
Week,
which
included
speakers,
an
awareness
fair,
and
workshops,
our
project
indeed
increased
community
awareness
and
gave
support
to
organizations
committed
to
addressing
this
ever-‐growing
crisis.
Why
and
by
What
Process
did
you
choose
this
theme?
At
the
beginning
of
our
year,
we
solicited
our
chapter
members
to
review
the
Honors
Program
Guide
and
propose
themes
or
topics
to
explore
for
our
project.
We
were
also
fortunate
to
have
several
campus
organizations
express
a
desire
to
partner
with
us
on
campus
projects.
We
then
formed
an
HIA
program
committee
to
evaluate
the
proposals
and
pick
the
topic
that
would
have
the
best
impact
on
our
chapter,
campus,
and
community.
Out
of
the
numerous
ideas
submitted,
our
chapter
decided
that
a
partnership
with
the
college’s
Mental
Health
Awareness
Team
(MHAT)
and
Psi
Beta
(Psychology
honors
society)
focused
on
addressing
mental
health
issues
would
be
best.
We
then
chose
the
theme
“Health
and
Medicine
as
Frontiers”
because
it
allowed
us
to
explore
innovations
in
mental
health
while
still
focusing
our
action
in
our
community.
Works
Cited:
Source 1
Szabo, Liz. "Cost of Not Caring: Stigma Set in Stone." USA Today
This USA Today series served as the inspiration for our Honors in Action project. It opened our eyes to the problem
of the stigma associated with mental illness that exists in our own community and motivated us to help clubs on our
campus make a difference for people suffering from mental illnesses in our community.
Source 2
Lebowitz, Matthew S., John J. Pyun, and Woo-Kyoung Ahn. "Biological Explanations of Generalized Anxiety
Disorder: Effects on Beliefs About Prognosis and Responsibility." Psychiatric Services 65.4 (2014): 498-503.
The results of this research showed that there is a significant stigma in our society that
individuals who suffer from anxiety are personally responsible for their illness.
Source 3
Beljouw, I. Van, P. Verhaak, M. Prins, P. Cuijpers, B. Penninx, and J. Bensing. "Reasons and Determinants for Not
Receiving Treatment for Common Mental Disorders." Psychiatric Services 61.3 (2010): 250-57.
This article showed us that there are many people who feel that they need treatment for
their mental illness, yet they are not getting treatment. One of the reasons that we found to
2. be important was that they believed that the treatment options available would not be
effective for their mental illness.
Source 4
Have, Margreet Ten, Ron De Graaf, Saskia Van Dorsselaer, and Aartjan Beekman. "Lifetime Treatment Contact and
Delay in Treatment Seeking After First Onset of a Mental Disorder." Psychiatric Services.64.10 (2013): 981-89.
This article showed us that only a fraction of people who suffer from an anxiety disorder
have received treatment for this disorder in the past 12 months. This shows that there are
many people who need treatment, but do not have the ability to get it.
Source 5
Swart, Joan. "Applying Buddhist Principles To Mode Deactivation Theory And Practice." International Journal Of
Behavioral Consultation & Therapy 9.2 (2014): 26-30.
Swart showed us that many of the new treatment options for anxiety are based on Buddhist
principles. Although the concepts themselves have been around for many years,
incorporating them into the treatment of anxiety is a new concept that has great promise for
the future treatment of mental health disorders.
Source 6
Garakani, Amir, James Murrough, and Dan Iosifescu. "Advances in Psychopharmacology for Anxiety Disorders."
Psychopharmacology: Evidence and Treatments 12.2 (2014): 152-62.
This journal article showed us that anxiety disorders occur more frequently than many other mental health disorders,
yet very few new medications can immediately treat anxiety disorders. In order to effectively treat anxiety we need to
continue the research of newer medications and combine other forms of treatment to help treat anxiety.
Source 7
Roemer, Lizabeth, Susan M. Orsillo, and Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault. "Efficacy of an Acceptance-based Behavior
Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Evaluation in a Randomized Controlled Trial." Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology 76.6 (2008): 1083-089.
This article further solidified that there are new treatment options available that are highly
effective. The results of this research found that 78% of those who received this treatment
no longer met the criteria for the diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Source 8
Khoury, Bassam, Tania Lecomte, Guillaume Fortin, Marjolaine Masse, Phillip Therien, Vanessa Bouchard, Marie-
Andrée Chapleau, Karine Paquin, and Stefan G. Hofmann. "Mindfulness-based Therapy: A Comprehensive Meta-
analysis." Clinical Psychology Review 33.6 (2013): 763-71.
This
article
gave
us
information
about
what
“Mindfulness”
entails.
It
also
showed
us
that
although
previous
research
has
been
unclear,
mindfulness
is
an
effective
treatment
for
Generalized
Anxiety
Disorder
.
3. What
conclusions
did
your
chapter
reach
based
on
your
research
and
how
do
these
conclusions
guide
you
to
select
the
action
part
of
your
project?
Our
research
efforts
first
indicated
that
we
needed
to
narrow
our
topic
so
as
to
properly
focus
our
research
questions
and
resulting
action
outlets.
In
addressing
this
concern,
we
learned
that
anxiety
is
an
issue
that
affects
many
individuals
in
our
community,
yet
does
not
garner
the
attention
it
deserves.
Our
research
told
us
that
the
problem
is
primarily
caused
by
the
stigma
associated
with
anxiety
and
the
lack
of
knowledge
about
available
treatment
options.
Upon
meeting
with
various
mental
health
advocate
groups
within
the
college
and
community,
it
was
clear
that
a
lack
of
awareness
was
a
big
problem
that
hindered
them
in
further
exploring
the
frontiers
of
treating
anxiety.
Indeed,
we
were
concerned
that
the
number
of
individuals
with
anxiety
and
those
receiving
care
were
grossly
disproportionate.
Objectives
Based
on
our
research,
we
knew
that
spreading
awareness
about
the
impact
of
anxiety
disorders
would
be
one
of
the
most
important
objectives
to
tackle.
We
also
came
to
the
conclusion
that
informing
our
community
members
of
the
resources
available
to
treat
anxiety
disorders
would
be
another
objective
to
address.
Finally,
our
last
objective
was
to
teach
our
community
about
the
advancements
in
the
treatment
and
diagnoses
of
anxiety
disorders.
Collaborations
Throughout
the
conceptualization,
planning,
and
implementation
stages
of
our
project,
we
collaborated
with
the
following
campus
organizations:
• Mental
Health
Awareness
Team
(MHAT)
• Psi
Beta
• Learning
Commons
(our
campus’
academic
support
center)
• Counseling
and
Advising
Department
• Massage
Therapy
Program
• Veterans
Services
• Art
Department
• Forensics
(Speech)
Team
• Human
Services
Program.
We
also
collaborated
with
the
following
off-‐campus
community
organizations
that
are
dedicated
to
increasing
awareness
of
mental
illness:
• Veterans
Services
DuPage
County
• Veterans
Services
Aurora
• National
Alliance
on
Mental
Illness
• Samaritan
Interfaith
Counseling
Center
• Illinois
Art
Therapy
Association
4. Describe
the
leadership
of
chapter
members
that
contributed
to
the
planning,
preparations,
and
implementation
of
this
Honors
in
Action
project.
The
exercise
of
leadership
may
come
from
groups/committees,
officers,
and
non-‐officers.
Leadership
roles
are
not
necessarily
those
that
come
with
"titles."
Direction
for
our
project
came
primarily
from
our
HIA
committee,
which
was
headed
by
our
chapter’s
Vice
President
of
Academic
Programs
and
met
weekly.
Many of
our
committee
members
became
delegates
to
different
organizations
both
on
and
off
campus.
When
working
with
so
many
groups,
it
can
be
difficult
to
keep
track
of
what
each
group
has
said
and
with
whom
they
have
spoken.
In
order
to
keep
communication
clear
and
consistent,
we
had
a
single
person
in
charge
of
being
in
contact
with
each
group
to
ensure
that
all
groups
remained
informed
and
knew
who
to
contact
if
they
had
any
questions.
Committee members were also delegated specific responsibilities in implementing our action
components. Some members served as logistics chairs, ensuring that each workshop was
properly scheduled and had the resources necessary for its success. Other members served as
promotional chairs, ensuring that the public knew of our activities and efforts.
Describe
leadership
education
and
training
activities
taken
to
specifically
help
chapter
members
be
more
effective
leaders
for
this
Honors
in
Action
project.
One
skill
that
we
learned
is
how
to
effectively
brainstorm.
Our
advisor
dedicated
one
of
our
first
meetings
to
teaching
the
group
how
to
properly
brainstorm
without
judgment,
and
then
assisted
us
with
brainstorming
our
first
ideas
about
what
our
topic
should
be.
This
training
was
crucial
to
focusing
and
choosing
our
theme
and
project.
Another
of
the
main
aspects
of
the
HIA
project
is
finding
and
analyzing
scholarly
research.
We
reached
out
to
Jennifer
Kelley,
one
of
the
faculty
librarians,
to
help
us
find
scholarly
research
that
is
relevant
to
our
topic.
As
a
part
of
this
meeting,
our
members
learned
how
to
evaluate
sources
and
how
to
determine
whether
or
not
the
source
is
credible.
When it came down to selecting our theme and action outlets, our
advisor
introduced
us
to
the
concept
of
SMART
goals.
He
encouraged
us
to
set
objectives
that
were
specific,
measurable,
attainable,
realistic,
and
timely.
This
skill
helped
us
to
identify
the
steps
that
needed
to
be
taken
to
quantifiably
raise
awareness
of
anxiety
on
our
campus.
It
also
aided
us
in
event
planning
by
helping
us
to
set
timetables
for
the
different
workshops
planned
throughout
the
week.
Describe
the
service
or
"action"
components
of
this
Honors
in
Action
project
that
were
inspired
by
your
Honors
Study
Topic
research.
(Action
can
also
include
advocacy.
Our
chapter
created
an
Anxiety
Awareness
Week
which
not
only
promoted
the
need
to
address
mental
wellness
but
also
introduced
new
frontiers
of
conceptualizing
and
treating
anxiety
disorders.
This
series
of
events
was
held
during
the
first
week
in
December,
when
many
students
and
community
members
were
recognizing
the
amount
of
anxiety
in
their
lives.
Our
efforts
led
us
to
engage
in
the
following
action
outlets:
Anxiety
Awareness
Fair
5. To
increase
the
attention
paid
to
this
growing
crisis
and
introduce
new
frontiers
of
identification
and
treatment,
we
invited
11
different
organizations
to
participate
in
this
fair,
eight
of
which
accepted
our
invitation.
Participating
groups
went
beyond
the
usual
distribution
of
information
and
also
included
interactive
elements,
such
as
mental
health
screenings
performed
by
our
Counseling
and
Advising
Department,
creating
your
own
stress
ball,
and
chair
massages.
To
promote
the
fair,
flyers
were
distributed
attached
to
squares
of
bubble
wrap,
which
served
as
a
unique
symbol
of
anxiety
awareness
and
treatment.
Workshop
Series
Workshops
conducted
by
both
campus
and
community
experts
were
also
held
during
our
Anxiety
Awareness
Week.
These
workshops
focused
on
both
increasing
awareness
and
introducing
new
frontiers
of
identifying
and
treating
anxiety.
To
increase
awareness,
we
hosted
speakers
from
the
National
Alliance
on
Mental
Illness.
Scott
Turner
presented
information
about
a
new
community
center
that
will
centralize
mental
health
services
in
one
location
and
enhance
the
lives
of
individuals
by
providing
job
training
and
other
resources.
We
also
had
two
other
speakers
who
shared
their
stories
about
how
anxiety
has
affected
their
life
and
how
they
have
overcome
their
obstacles.
In
promoting
new
frontiers
of
anxiety
reduction,
a
psychologist
from
Samaritan
Interfaith
Counseling
Center
held
a
workshop
on
how
a
new
technique
called
“Mindfulness”
can
be
used
to
help
reduce
anxiety
and
stress.
A
counselor
from
our
college
taught
students
meditation
and
other
relaxation
techniques
that
are
used
to
decrease
anxiety
during
a
test.
He
also
taught
them
planning
methods
that
can
help
alleviate
anxiety
before
it
becomes
a
problem.
The
President
of
the
Illinois
Art
Therapy
Association
used
techniques
that
combined
semantic
psychotherapy
with
art
therapy
that
can
help
to
reduce
stress
and
manage
anxiety.
Our Forensics (Speech) program held a
student-run workshop on coping with public speaking anxiety. Finally, our Veterans Services
Department held two workshops focused on the unique anxiety challenges experienced by our
military veterans.
What
were
the
quantitative
and
qualitative
outcomes
of
your
project,
including
the
lessons
learned
by
your
chapter
members
and
others?
Our
chapter
used
several
tactics
to
quantify
the
attendance
at
our
Anxiety
Awareness
Fair.
At
the
fair,
over
500
squares
of
bubble
wrap
were
handed
out
to
attendees.
In
fact,
we
ran
out
of
bubble
wrap
squares
just
two
hours
into
the
fair.
We
also
handed
out
an
additional
450
flyers
with
information
about
the
weeks’
worth
of
workshops,
which
also
were
completely
distributed
within
two
hours.
One
of
the
most
popular
elements
of
the
fair
was
the
40
handmade
stress
balls
that
students
were
able
to
make
and
keep
with
them.
The
Counseling
Department
reported
that
well
over
30
people
participated
in
mental
health
screening.
In
total,
we
estimate
that
we
had
over
a
thousand
students
and
community
members
came
to
learn
about
anxiety
during
our
five-‐hour
fair.
Qualitatively,
we
hope
that
those
who
attended
the
fair
increased
their
awareness
of
the
toll
anxiety
takes
on
their
daily
lives
and
will
use
the
tools
and
information
distributed
to
improve
their
mental
well-‐being,
particularly
as
both
finals
and
the
holidays
were
on
the
horizon.
6. As
for
the
workshops,
attendance
varied
from
over
20
participants
at
the
Mindfulness
Workshop
to
12
at
the
Art
Therapy
Workshop
to
7
at
the
Test
Anxiety
Workshop.
Unfortunately,
attendance
was
slim
to
none
at
our
public
speaking
and
veterans
workshops.
A
valuable
lesson
learned
by
our
chapter
was
that
we
over-‐extended
our
efforts.
Focusing
on
less
programming
would
have
perhaps
increased
productivity,
interest,
and
attendance.
For
those
that
did
attend
our
workshops,
the
qualitative
outcomes
were
significant.
Nursing
students
who
attended
our
mindfulness
workshop
developed
tools
that
they
can
use
to
help
their
future
patients
who
struggle
with
anxiety.
A
tutor
who
attended
the
mindfulness
workshop
mentioned
that
she
was
going
to
use
some
of
the
lessons
from
this
workshop
to
help
her
students.
Students who attended the art therapy workshop said that
this
was
the
first
time
during
the
semester
that
they
felt
truly
relaxed
and
focused.
What
is
left
undone
or
what
opportunities
remain
for
the
future?
One
element
we
found
most
surprising
was
the
lack
of
coordination
and
networking
between
the
different
clubs,
departments,
and
organizations
on
our
campus
At
our
fair,
the
organizations
in
attendance
voiced
that
they
had
not
collaborated
in
the
past
and
that
teamwork,
such
as
was
on
display
at
our
fair,
would
be
useful
in
the
future.
Because
the
groups
have
a
common
goal
and
relatively
no
conflicting
interests,
the
organizations
could
essentially
work
as
a
team
to
teach
our
community
about
the
resources
available
more
effectively
than
if
they
were
working
on
projects
on
their
own.
Additionally,
we
have
built
future
opportunities
to
work
closely
with
other
community
groups.
Our
growing
reputation
as
a
community-‐minded
chapter
has
opened
doors
for
us
to
create
new
opportunities
to
shed
increased
light
on
the
resources
available
in
our
community.
