“There are people dealing with mental health issues and sometimes they are not willing to bring them up or seek help.”
In just 45 minutes, Spencer Pennington, a sophomore studying business management and leadership, learned how to reach out to people who appear to be struggling and offer assistance. That training has already helped others.
Spencer’s fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, was one of the first to complete the Bandana Project training at Kansas State University, which provides students with the tools and resources to detect signs of suicidal thoughts and point others in the direction of help. After the training, participants are given a green bandana to tie to their backpack.
When asked about the significance of the green bandana tied to his backpack, Spencer shared with one of his classes what he’d learned from the Bandana Project training. Later Spencer discovered that a student in class that day reached out to the professor, asking for help accessing mental health services at K-State.
“Being able to speak up and impact just one student makes me wonder how many more students are surrounding them with similar experiences,” Spencer said.
Stories like Spencer’s inspired the focus of 2022’s All in for K-State day of giving, whichfocused on increasing access to K-State mental health services, including programs like the Bandana Project. The demand for mental health services at K-State has increased by 27% since 2019, mirroring national trends. One in four college students nationwide have had serious thoughts of suicide.*
Spencer says that completing the training was vital in causing him to think more deeply about mental health and its implications, especially in thinking about the mental health challenges faced by students and staff at K-State. He says when times get stressful, he even “gives the training to himself again,” as a way to recall what he learned and focus on what is important.
One thing that surprised Spencer was the ability of the Bandana Project training to challenge the stigma of mental health, especially the stereotype that men do not struggle with mental well-being. Spencer says his entire fraternity was engaged in the conversation, and afterward, it increased awareness for the struggles that often go unseen.
He hopes that more groups go through the training because it establishes a support system and open space for conversation amongst the group members.
“The Bandana Project is removing the stigma that men are too strong and can keep mental health challenges pushed away,” Spencer said. “Every single student and professor on this campus had or is dealing with mental health in some way, whether it is with school or home life. There are people dealing with mental health issues and sometimes they are not willing to bring them up or seek help.”
*From Trends in College Student Mental Health, 2020-2021, JED Campus
