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LIFE WILL BE BETTER
WHEN EVERYONE CAN GET THE
MENTAL HEALTH CARE THEY NEED
The national statistics are grim:
About seven percent of American
adults experienced a depressive episode last year, and another 18 percent
have anxiety disorders. For nursing professor Nancy Edwards, those numbers
feel conservative. “I work one day a week
in a community clinic, and one-third to
one-half of my patients present with a mental health concern,” she says.
To say the need for more robust and integrated
mental health care is acute is to understate the
obvious. Even mild cases can lead to missed work,
flagging productivity, and isolation.
A pair of new collaborations among Purdue’s
School of Nursing and a handful of clinics and
health centers statewide will help fill that need.
The programs will provide funding and edu-
cation so that nurse practitioners have the
expertise they need to screen and treat many
uncomplicated mental health conditions in a
primary care setting. The added support will be
a boon for many patients, who will be able to get
the care they need without waiting months for
an appointment with a psychiatrist or mental
health counselor.
The programs are tailor-made to support
underserved populations in rural and urban
locations, says Edwards. “Our graduates feel
much more confident in being able to manage
[patients’] depression, anxiety, and bipolar than
before, and they’re also more confident knowing
when to refer [to a specialist],” she says. “Access
to mental health care has been a huge problem,
and these programs are going to help so that
people can get the care that they need.”
KAT H RY N S E I G F R I E D - S P E L LA R ,
assistant professor in the Department of
Computer and Information Technology, is
building tools that allow law enforcement
investigators to handle the high-stress
influx of child pornography cases and
help identify offenders more quickly.
SYLVIE BROUDER,
professor in the
Department of Agronomy, helps farmers
squeeze every last bit of productivity from
their fields while reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and water quality issues.
MAGGIE O’HAIRE,
Associate professor
of human-animal interaction, has shown
that symptoms of PTSD are lower among
war veterans with service dogs — which
could help chart a path forward for health
and healing among this group.
PUR D U E A LU MN I . O RG
LIFE WILL BE BETTER
WITH TOURISM
THAT HELPS PEOPLE
AND THE PLANET
Jonathon Day, associate professor of
hospitality and tourism management,
knows tourism sometimes gets a bad rap
from the communities where it is most
prevalent. Locals worry about pollution,
crowding, and bad behavior from those
who don’t call the area home. That’s part
of the reason he chairs the Travel Care
Code, a network of academics and professionals who support responsible travel.
Here are two ways to make your next trip
more enjoyable for you and better for the
community you visit.
1.Buy and live like a local. “We know
that travelers are looking for more
authentic experiences,” says Day. “When
you go to a local restaurant to eat or an
art gallery to buy your souvenirs, you’re
getting something that isn’t just more
authentic; it’s unique. And that will
make your travel experience better.”
2.Bring your good habits with you.
Hotels, restaurants, and attractions
at your destination are ready to host
you. Are you prepared to be a good
guest? Vacations aren’t a free pass
for bad behavior: You
probably recycle, turn
off lights, and pick
up after yourself at
home, so do the same
at your vacation
destination. “Bring
your water bottle
instead of buying
them — don’t add a
burden when you’re
a guest,” he says.
Read the 10 ways to
support responsible,
sustainable travel at
travelcarecode.com.
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