Stanford focuses on mental health and well-being during Feb. 3–4 event

Stanford will devote two full days – Feb. 3 and 4 – to a first-time campus event focused on mental health called Community Conversations on Mental Health and Well-being.

Campus experts will lead workshops, roundtables and presentations on such issues as self-care, belonging, family matters and classroom concerns. The sessions are designed to be useful to all Stanford community members – students, faculty, post-doctoral scholars and staff – and will be held in Paul Brest Hall on the main campus and in Cardinal Hall on the Redwood City campus.

Provost Persis Drell, whose office is sponsoring the event, encouraged all members of the campus community to take time to participate.

“The issue of mental health affects us all and is a growing concern on our campus and college campuses nationwide,” Drell said. “This event is a way to shine a light on this important issue and give our community tools they can use to manage concerns and challenges in their lives and ultimately, increase their sense of well-being.”

Twenty sessions will be offered over the two days, including:

• How Sleep Impacts Mental Health
• Neurodiversity Is Strength
• Grieving at Stanford
• Emotional Regulation and Mindfulness
• The Challenges of Caring for Frail Loved Ones
• Understanding the Difference Between Sadness, Stress and Depression
• Gender Inclusivity: Concepts and Best Practices

In addition, all Stanford community members are invited to attend a special Belonging Workshop at 5 p.m. on Feb. 3 at the Faculty Club; doors open at 4:45 p.m.

Community Conversations on Mental Health and Well-being is organized in collaboration with Stanford’s existing mental health resource offices, the Office of Religious Life and the Stanford Mental Health Coalition. A steering committee comprising individuals from these offices and organizations developed the programming for the event.

Steering committee member Laura Roberts, chair and Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, described the goals for the event.

“Each of us has been touched by the mental health concerns of our campus, our neighborhood and our world. Through Community Conversations, we hope to bring forward our best resource – our people – to welcome one another, to listen to one another, to learn from one another and to create a deeper sense of connection and belonging at Stanford. It is through such efforts that we, together, can acknowledge the authentic hardships we face as well as support mental health and well-being on our campus,” she said.

All sessions are free and open to all members of the Stanford community. Refreshments will be available throughout the event. All sessions, with the exception of De-stressing the Academic Experience, are BeWell Berry eligible.

To view the full schedule of sessions and for more information, visit the Office of the Provost website.