WSU Mental Health Campaign _ Palouse PR

To: Paula M. Adams, Associate Director, Health Promotion
From: Palouse PR
Date: December 9, 2016
Subject: WSU Mental Health Campaign
Dear Paula,
Thank you for selecting Palouse PR to represent you. We are pleased to inform you that the
requested proposal to develop a mental health communication campaign at Washington State
University has been completed.
We uncovered many unique and interesting findings in our research that we would like to
highlight for you. A notable response in our survey was that students believe there is a lack of
conversation about mental health at WSU. The majority of students responded that they know
about mental health services on campus but do not know where to access help. The data revealed
that WSU would benefit from a mental health campaign so we created a strategic communication
plan to reduce stigma and increase awareness on campus.
Hailee Codiga will be the primary contact for Palouse PR. She is more than happy to address any
questions, concerns, or feedback. You can reach her at the following:
Phone: 206. 271. 2920
Email: hailee.codiga@wsu.edu
Thank you again for choosing Palouse PR for your organization’s needs. We are honored to be
working with you.
Sincerely,
Palouse PR

2

Table of Contents
Executive Summary……………………..………………………………………………………3-4
Research Needs………………………………………………………………………………...4-17
Research Goals……………………………………………………………………………….17-19
Research Strategy…………………………………………………………………………….20-22
Results………………………………………………………………………………………..22-34
Implications of Results……………………………………………………………………….34-36
Proposed Communication Plan………………………………………………………………36-49
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………49-50
References…………………………………………………………………………………....51-52
Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………53
Biography Page…………………………………………………………………………..54
Tables and Figures……………………………………………………………………….55
Interview Protocol…………………………………………………………..………..56-57
Survey Protocol…………………………………………………………………........58-62
Interview Transcripts………………………………………………………………..63-151
Confidentiality Agreement…………………………………………………….......……152

3

Executive Summary
Mental health issues on college campuses are at an all-time high, with more seeking
treatment each year (HWS, 2016). This is no different on the Washington State University
campus. In 2015, 9.1 percent of WSU students considered suicide (ACHA, 2016). This rose 6.5
percent from the year prior. In 2015, 34.8 percent of WSU students felt so depressed that it was
difficult to function (ACHA, 2016).
Mental health is an issue that remains highly stigmatized, thus promotion must be done
carefully. There is a clear stigma around mental health issues, its consequences and those seeking
help. Due to this, there is a clear need for a campaign such as this. Millions of college students
across America struggle with mental health every year and WSU needs a campaign to combat
the issue of stigmatization while promoting mental health.
Currently, little has been proposed in terms of a mental health stigma reduction campaign
on campus, which is why Palouse PR is taking on such a task. There are many opportunities for
Health and Wellness Services to take in regards to stigma reduction.
This campaign aims to create events that will decrease the stigma associated with mental
health. The goal is to make students feel safe around the topic of mental health and create a
strong mental health promotion plan that can be implemented immediately. Through this,
students will want to engage in the campaign and hopefully work together to build relationships
with other students in the process. The activities and events of the campaign are fun, engaging,
relevant, and safe for students in order to ensure high attendance.
This project uses a combination of interviews and surveys to gather data. The interviews
addressed questions specific to the Mental Health programs at WSU, as well as initiatives and
activities participants would be willing to partake in. The surveys addressed similar questions

4

with the addition of demographics, media use, and student club and activity involvement. Once
collected, data is analyzed through the process of thematic analysis to highlight common themes
present among student responses.
From the qualitative results, we found that the college environment is one of the most
important aspects to a student’s mental health. Students reported experiencing high stress and
anxiety throughout their entire college career. Due to this, students are experiencing mental
health issues that are compromising their well-being.
To contribute to these factors, students believe mental health is not discussed enough on
campus. There was a strong consensus that mental health is an important issue at WSU, therefore
the topic should be discussed. With the help of events, activities, and groups on campus, students
believe a stronger campus community can be created to decrease the stigma regarding mental
health.
From both the qualitative and quantitative results, students are reporting that they do not
know how to handle a mental health crisis or find the resources if they are in need of mental
health help. There is a clear awareness of the prominence of mental illnesses, yet many
participants responded that they do not know who or where to reach out to if they are personally
struggling. Some students were aware of Counseling and Psychological Services, but did not
know what they offer. The confusion about the resources available at WSU makes the resources
ineffective.
Research Needs
Washington State University’s Health and Wellness Services (HWS) is the long-standing
health services division of the university. Not only do they promote healthy living, nutrition and
general wellness needs, but they promote overall mental wellbeing and mental health. Primarily,

5

HWS treats Washington State University undergraduate and graduate students of all
demographics.
WSU’s Health and Wellness Services manages an initiative called Project Healthy
Campus (PHC, n.d.). The project has the mission to create and sustain a university community in
which all students feel secure from threat, danger or injury, and supported in making healthy
lifestyle choices. It is a starting point in terms of a stigma reduction for mental health campaign.
Mental health issues on college campuses are at an all-time high, with more seeking
treatment each year (HWS, 2016). This is no different on the WSU campus. During the 2015
year, 9.1 percent of WSU students considered suicide at any time; according to the American
College Health Association. This rose from just 6.5 percent the year prior. In 2015, 34.8 percent
of WSU students felt so depressed that it was difficult to function; according to the American
College Health Association.
There has been little proposed in terms of a mental health stigma reduction campaign on
campus, which is why Palouse PR is taking on such a task. There are many possibilities for WSU
HWS to take in regards to stigma reduction, following several other campuses initiatives for the
campaign.
Mental health is an issue that remains highly stigmatized, thus promotion must be done
carefully. There is a clear stigma around mental health issues, its consequences and those seeking
help, which is why there is a clear need for a campaign such as this one. Millions of college
students across America struggle with mental health every year and WSU needs a campaign to
combat the issue of stigmatization while promoting mental health.

6

Background on Organization and Industry
Health and Wellness Services is a division of student affairs at Washington State
University that provides medical services and outreach programs that serve the WSU
community. The medical center is an accredited outpatient clinic in the area with board certified
physicians and health providers that care for more than 10,000 students annually. Health and
Wellness Services provides outreach programs guided by the Project Healthy Campus model that
strives to enhance student safety, health and wellbeing.
Project Healthy Campus is a model for enhancing student safety, health and well-being
(HWS, 2016). The mission is to create and sustain a university community in which all students
feel secure from threat, danger or injury, and supported. The overarching goals of the project are
to build capacity, use a coherent and comprehensive framework, and reduce risk factors to
demonstrate a rigorous outcome.
Health and Wellness Services sees nearly 250 patients per day for a variety of reasons.
The most common services they provide include general wellness check-ups, sexually
transmitted infection and sexually transmitted disease testing, x-rays, physical therapy, nutrition
counseling, allergy desensitization and injections, immunizations, behavioral health counseling,
and tobacco cessation counseling (HWS, 2016). Health and Wellness Services also provides
hundreds of workshops each semester regarding student health, happiness and success. They
include violence prevention programs and Green Dot1
, fitness and nutrition programs, financial
stress and money management programs and alcohol education.

1

Green Dot is a nationally-recognized program that helps identify actions or behaviors that can
cause harm and to do more actions or behaviors that prevent harm. WSU adopted this program
several years ago.

7

HWS has the opportunity to provide additional mental health related resources for WSU
undergraduate students. They currently offer workshops for stress management and emotional
health, which includes Mental Health First Aid, a certification course to help participants
recognize symptoms of mental health illness and increase mental health literacy (HWS, 2016). In
the eight-hour interactive session, participants learn the potential risk factors and warning signs
of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, psychosis, and self-injury. They learn a five-step
action plan that encompasses the skills to assess the situation and implement appropriate
interventions.
Current Communication Techniques
Website
WSU Health and Wellness’ stigma reduction on campus has very little web presence. On
the main website for HWS, www.hws.wsu.edu, there is no mention of mental health stigma
reduction. The only area citing mental health is under the ‘Programs & Outreach’ tab on the left
side of the landing page, which can be found through this link: https://hws.wsu.edu/programs-
outreach/. There you can find programs to help manage stress and emotional health. The
programs highlighted on this area of the website are stress management workshops, mental
health first aid and body image workshops. Other than this small area of the vast HWS website,
there is no mention of mental health to be found. Mental health stigma prevention on campus is
not mentioned on the website at all.
Also on the website is a direct link to news produced Health and Wellness Services,
found at https://hws.wsu.edu/news/. Feature stories and informational pieces can be found here.
The stories found on this area of the website are the same articles posted on the WSU Coug

8

Health Facebook page. This Facebook page is run by Health and Wellness Services, specifically
by Health Promotion.
Advertising
WSU Health and Wellness stigma reduction has had little advertising on campus or in the
greater Pullman community. An advertising strategy has not been utilized to get the information
out to the publics interested. There has not been consistent advertising due to the lack of budget
for this campaign (Adams, 2016). Advertising takes a significant amount of money and content
to fill websites, social media and other venues.
Social Media
Much like the website, the Facebook page for WSU Health and Wellness Services, titled
“WSU Coug Health,” lacks content in general. However, there has been some activity. On
September 14, 2016 a post about a mental health mindfulness program was created (WSU Coug
Health, 2016). On September 10, 2016 a post was created giving information on suicide
prevention trainings and warning signs to look for (WSU Coug Health, 2016). Dating back three
years, posts on the WSU Health and Wellness Facebook page about mental health averaged three
a month, which we have calculated (WSU Coug Health, 2016). There were no posts about
mental health stigma prevention (WSU Coug Health, 2016). The content is largely dominated by
violence prevention on campus and the Green Dot program (HWS, 2016). WSU Health and
Wellness Services does not have a functioning Twitter or Instagram account.
Secondary Research
Despite the lack of community outreach strategies HWS has on the subject of mental
health stigma prevention and suicide awareness; surrounding universities around the region have

9

more of a presence online, advertising and through various social media accounts. We researched
the University of Idaho, the University of Washington and Central Washington University to
determine their mental health stigma reduction and suicide awareness outreach strategies and
programs. We looked at these three universities because they are close to WSU and they are
easily comparable.
The University of Idaho
The University of Idaho has a large portion of their website dedicated to mental health,
which can be found at https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/ctc/self-help/mental-health. The
site includes pamphlets that can be printed out and displayed around campus, mental health first
aid instruction and tips, and a phone app dedicated solely to metal health promotion, which can
be found at https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/ctc/self-help/apps. The app promotes
mental health through stress management, anxiety management, depression management, post-
traumatic stress disorder coaching, and pain management. The Counseling and Testing services
at the University of Idaho is in charge of implementing and advertising these programs.
One of the main mental health promotion weeks put on by the Counseling and Testing
services at the University of Idaho is Campus Safety Week, which ran from September 18-23,
2016. This event week is an annual event on the UI campus. The campaign is titled, “I Got Your
Back,” and one of the main components is suicide awareness. The Counseling and Testing
services at the University of Idaho is partnering with the University of Idaho Recreation to put on
a “We Got Your Back” Suicide Awareness 5k, which can be found at
https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/campus-recreation/events/5k. This mental health
promotion and suicide prevention campaign was advertised through social media channels and a
video featuring University of Idaho students and faculty addressing the campaign, the video was

10

promoted through the University of Idaho YouTube channel, this can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGFjzZVrrxU.
The University of Washington
Huskies for Suicide Prevention and Awareness (HSPA) is a student run suicide
awareness and outreach campaign on the campus of the University of Washington, located in
Seattle, WA. HSPA has a strong presence on Facebook and Twitter. The main program being
advertised is an H3 Walk to promote suicide prevention and outreach on campus
(https://hspauw.com/h3-walk/). H3 stands for Husky Help and Hope; the goal is to bring
awareness and prevention to suicide on the UW campus. One of the main purposes of HSPA is to
reduce mental health stigma and create a safe space for publics who are in need. HSPA partners
with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, University of Washington Student Health
Consortium, and University of Washington Circle K International. All of these partners help
promote the H3 Walk, which provides free advertising on a broad scale.
The HSPA Mission Statement: It shall be the purpose of this organization to spread
awareness of suicide to college students and to organize prevention efforts; and to encourage
positive living by building a strong, accepting, positive community (HSPAUW.com).
The HSPA website has a large amount of information on mental health promotion, stigma
prevention, and suicide awareness. One of the strengths of the website is the resource tab it
offers. The resources are provided by the University of Washington and include: the UW health
center, the UW counseling center, the UW police department, UW human resource department,
and the UW Accommodation Center (https://hspauw.com/student-resources/).

11

Central Washington University
Located in Ellensburg, WA, Central Washington University is home to just over 10,000
students. Through the Central Washington University Patient Portal on the CWU Medical &
Counseling Clinic website, an app is provided to help promote mental health. This app is more
centered on relaxation techniques and stress relief games. CWU also partners with the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and has a direct link to the NAMI website from the CWU
Medical and Counseling Clinic website. The Medical and Counseling Clinic offers a basic
medical clinic, a counseling clinic and crisis services, and self-help resources.
Target Publics
In the case of a mental health and stigma reduction campaign, the largest demographics
concerned with HWS are undergraduate and graduate students on the WSU-Pullman campus.
This is because they are the primary publics located in Pullman. By splitting the undergraduate
population into freshman and upper-classmen (sophomores, juniors and seniors), we will be able
to create campaigns for each of those publics since they are very different. At this time, only the
Pullman campus is a focus and the several other branch campuses of WSU are not included. In
the future, WSU campuses across the state may be able to take on these campaign ideas.
WSU-Pullman Campus
At this time, the Pullman campus of WSU is concerned with student well-being,
particularly Health Promotion. In Pullman, there are approximately 20,000 students (WSU,
2016). There are 90 academic majors for undergraduate students on the Pullman campus and a
low student-to-faculty ratio, being 15 to one. Students often receive a large amount of teacher-
student interaction. Obviously, students on campus are very diverse in terms of academics and

12

backgrounds. The campus is approximately 48 percent male-identifying and 52 percent female-
identifying (WSU, 2016).
Undergraduate students: Freshmen
Getting students knowledgeable on mental health awareness early on in their academic
careers is a positive. From the second they step foot on campus, they are receiving information
about resources in the case that they need them. It is easy to target freshmen students at Alive!
Orientation and Week of Welcome (WOW). Alive! is the name of the WSU orientation sessions
for incoming WSU students where students tour campus, learn about clubs and academics, and
are offered resources. These events are great tools to target freshman, particularly informing
them of resources available to them at Health and Wellness Services.
Freshmen are important because they will be spending the next four to five years of their
lives on the WSU campus. They need to know where help is available when they need it,
especially help with mental health issues, whether they are in crisis or not. During the Fall 2016
semester, there were approximately 4,000 new freshmen students on campus (WSU NEWS,
2016). This means that there are a lot of students coming to live in Pullman and at WSU for the
first time and they may not be aware of the resources available to them.
Undergraduate students: Upper-classmen (Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors)
Upper-classmen are important to this campaign because it is a new campaign designed to
bring awareness to mental health and reduce stigma. Although these students may be aware of
places to seek help, they may need a reminder. As students grow older, they are often mentors or
seen as a role model. If they know of an under-classman that needs help, they should know
where to go. Upper-classmen are also those who we are seeking to be the ones more mature in

13

discussing a commonly uncomfortable topic. This group also includes transfer students on
campus, as well as all sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Upper-classmen can serve as a tool in terms of this campaign. If they have used HWS’
services in the past, currently use offered services or want to be an ally for those battling mental
health issues, they can speak out on-campus. Upper-classmen can be the ones to speak on behalf
of HWS and can be the ones speaking up at events.
Graduate students
Graduate students are not immune to mental health issues nor stigma. Graduate students
should know where to seek help just as much as any undergraduate student on campus. In order
to target graduate students, it would be worthwhile to go to their orientation on campus. Just like
any freshman, graduate students who are new to Pullman and WSU may not know where to seek
assistance and help with mental health issues.
Evidence and Rationale for Problem Statement
Problem #1: There is currently not a strong mental health promotion plan on campus
Health and Wellness services does an excellent job with providing extensive medical and
vision clinical care services, as well as a pharmacy (HWS, 2016). They also provide programs
and outreach for violence prevention, nutrition, fitness, stress management, emotional health,
alcohol education, financial stress, and money management. Most of these programs are tied to
maintaining student wellness which is necessary for strong mental health. However, Washington
State University is in need of a program dedicated strictly to mental health. In the past, WSU’s
counseling and behavioral health patient services were used to address the mental health needs of
its students. These patient services are no longer substantial enough. According to National

14

College Health Assessment II (NCHA) data, collected on our campus since 2010, WSU students
are experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors at rates similar to national comparison data (see
table 1). It is time to implement a systematic mental health promotion plan at Washington State
University.
Table 1
Problem #2: Mental health issues are prevalent on campus
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects
how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and
make choices (HHS, n.d.). These factors are important in the lives of college students who
inevitably will experience these emotions at least once in their college career. According to the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2016, these are the early warning signs of
mental health problems:
• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low or no energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

15

According to the ACHA-National College Health Assessment II, a national research
survey organized by the American College Health Association (ACHA), to assist college health
service providers, health educators, counselors, and administrators in collecting data about their
students' habits, behaviors, and perceptions on the most prevalent health topics, it was found that
WSU students experience the early warning signs of mental health problems (see Table 2).
Table 2

17

Problem #3: More resources on campus are needed
Currently, Washington State University does not have enough resources, programs, or
services for students with mental health problems. One of the two resources available is the
WSU Counseling and Psychological Services. These services include psychiatry, health
psychology, and integrated primary care behavioral health services for students (HWS, n.d.).
These services do provide some aid, but are not tailored to mental health problems. The second
resource consists of stress management and emotional health activities. The activities include:
• Stress Management Workshops give an introduction to where your stress may come
from and tips about how to manage stress in the moment and over time.
• Mental Health First Aid is a certification course much like typical first aid. This course
teaches participants to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness and how to help those
experiencing a mental health crisis.
• Body Image Workshops teach you how to identify and detach from unhelpful thoughts
and feelings you may have about your body. We provide you with strategies you can use to guide
your decisions and work through obstacles that keep you from accomplishing your goals (HWS,
n.d.).
Research Goals
Research goals are a crucial part to any research based campaign. Having set goals and
avenues to achieve these goals enables campaigns to be successfully conducted and for the
research findings to be valid. Palouse PR’s main research goal was to find WSU undergraduate
student’s understanding and perception of mental health, particularly mental health on the
Washington State University campus. Another research goal included finding the number of
students aware of our mental health resources and other departments available to those

18

individuals, or their friends, seeking help for a mental health crisis. We believe our research
goals were met after completing interviews and conducting surveys.
During the situational analysis portion of our research based campaign, we found that
with the current stigma surrounding mental health, students are wary about engaging in anything
related with it (Association for Psychological Science, 2014). Our goal was to understand
opinions and beliefs around the stigma associated with mental health problems on WSU’s
campus. Through this, students wanted to engage in our campaign and hopefully work together
to build relationships with other students in the process. To make sure we are fulfilling that goal,
we conducted our research in compliance of ethical research methods and kept track of all the
data collected. We will use this data to improve the understanding of mental health around
campus and utilize the findings to set forth additional goals for our researched based campaign.
Overall, we wanted to know how we can make students feel safe around the topic of
mental health and their overall understanding of mental health resources on campus. We believe
that the stigma around mental health can be decreased once students realize it is common among
students of all demographics and can also be reduced if students understand where resources are
on campus. In order for us to realize individual’s beliefs, we brought together a diverse group of
individuals and asked them questions to understand their opinions and spectrum of knowledge on
mental health around WSU’s campus. Through research and evaluation, we were be able to
analyze what individuals’ believed about mental health and their knowledge of the resources
available at WSU due to the research completed through interviews and surveys.
Potential Areas of Research
1. The number of students seeking treatment for mental health problems

19

Currently, many students are not seeking help for their mental health problems because of
the stigma surrounding mental health (Association for Psychological Science, 2014). With a new
campaign planned, we hope to increase the number of people seeking help for their mental health
problems. We believe this will be attainable with our campaign aiming to decrease the stigma
around mental health problems.
2. The number of students attending and engaging in our mental health activities, programs,
and events
With the current stigma surrounding mental health, students are wary about engaging in
anything related with it (Association for Psychological Science, 2014). Our goal is to create
events that will decrease the stigma associated with mental health problems. Through this,
students will want to engage in our campaign and hopefully work together to build relationships
with other students in the process. We must ensure these activities, programs, and events are fun,
engaging, relevant, and safe for students in order to receive high attendance. To make sure we
are fulfilling that goal, we will keep track of attendance. We will use this data to improve our
events so that more students will be willing to participate.
In the end, we want to know how we can make students feel safe around the topic of
mental health. It is also important to find out how to make the topic fun and engaging, in order to
decrease the stigma around mental health. We believe that the stigma around mental health can
be decreased once students realize it is common among students of all demographics. In order for
them to realize this, we must be able to bring diverse groups of people together with fun,
engaging, relevant, and safe events. Through research and evaluation, we will be able to analyze
what does and doesn’t work to engage students on the topic of mental health.

20

Research Strategy
In order for a research based campaign to meet the research goals a strategy must be put
in place to be able to reach the correct population in an effective and sustainable manner. Two
forms of research avenues were used during our research campaign. Surveys and interviews were
conducted in order to research the beliefs and opinions of mental health on WSU’s campus.
Questions were then developed by four groups and compiled into one database of
questions used in the research. Once the survey and interview questions were completed and
provided to our group, we decided to complete them as quickly as possible in order to give our
research the most amount of time to be completed. In all, our research took 20 days to complete.
By using the Qualtrics account provided to Palouse PR, there was no money spent gathering the
research for our campaign. Everything we did around research of this campaign was centered on
collecting data with precision and validity. Due to the fact we are all undergraduate students at
WSU, we clearly understood the qualifications needed to participate in this research and have
numerous acquaintances that are also WSU undergraduate students. This made it easy to
complete the research needed within our goals and targeted population.
Surveys
The first research method we used was creating a survey on the survey system Qualtrics.
All four group members posted the URL to the survey to friends on Facebook with the request
that if you are an undergraduate student at WSU fill out this survey on mental health. We
collected the data from the research through quantitative data by using convenience sampling.
All of these response to the surveys were confidential. The questions on the survey fit the
guidelines of effective survey questions by not having questions that were double-barreled or
leading. On a topic like mental health, having questions that are double-barreled or leading can

21

skew the data making it not valid. The primary purpose for the survey research was to get a
broader sense of mental health on campus by being able to reach a wider population. We were
satisfied by the response rates of the survey and the data collected.
Interviews
Palouse PR completed six interviews in order to get more in-depth answers from
participants to truly understand their opinions about the topic of mental health on campus. We
thought using the convenience sample, a method of non-probability sampling, was the quickest
and most effective way to reach our target audience for research. Before the interviews took
place, a 16-page interview protocol was provided to Palouse PR. The interview protocol
provided possible probing questions that could be asked to better understand the participant’s
opinions on the question. This was an advantage because more data could be collected or better
understood by being able to fully grasp the participant’s answers. These six interviews took place
with acquaintances the group members and were voice recorded. Each participant signed a
confidentiality form. The interviews were then coded and the data was collected. By doing this
and continuing to create guidelines to follow throughout the research process, our research goal
was realized and completed.
Operation & Procedures
A technique based on thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Interview transcripts
were thoroughly analyzed to find themes and ideas that were present throughout. The themes
were recorded and coded in a spreadsheet table and were checked for intercoder reliability to
ensure that similar themes emerged. The process was repeated to increase intercoder reliability
until there was 80-90 percent agreement and quotes relating to each theme were selected as

22

research examples. As a final part of the analysis process, all themes were cross checked to
increase credibility.
Results
Qualitative Results
We were able to gain valuable knowledge and insight into the perspectives regarding
mental health at Washington State University. After conducting interviews, our firm used the
responses to answer some of our research questions.
From the information we collected in the interviews, it is evident that students at
Washington State University feel that mental health is not discussed enough. Students believe
mental health problems are regarded as unimportant, unreal, and not a big deal. It appears that
students do not feel there are many resources, events, or safe places to go to address mental
health problems at Washington State University.
This report will go through an overview of the issues we noticed in the interviews,
and will then explain in more detail, using examples and suggestions to provide a better
idea of how these students feel about Washington State University and mental health.
From the responses, we collected major themes and placed them into categories. The
categories include: Consensus On, Confusion On, and Difficulties With. Consensus On includes
themes that most participants agreed on. Confusion On includes themes where participants did
not know much about something or had confusion with. Difficulties With includes themes that
participants believe should be more important.
Consensus On:
1. Stress and anxiety are a mental health illness
2. Stressful college environment

23

3. Mental health is important at WSU
These themes are further discussed below.
1. Stress and anxiety are a mental health illness
From the reactions and responses from every participant, it is evident they believe stress
and anxiety are considered a mental health illness.
Participants explained that mental health illnesses affect people’s everyday lives, which
stress and anxiety are a part of. Evidence of this can be seen in the responses below:
Interviewer: “Do you think stress or anxiousness can be defined as a mental health
illness?”
Participant: “Yes, I actually currently suffer from anxiety due to stress. It definitely
affects me inside and outside of the classroom when I am trying to get my work done. It
causes a lot of overwhelming thoughts so when your brain can’t focus on getting
something done it affects the outcomes of daily life.”
Based on these responses, it is evident that stress and anxiety are huge contributing
factors to mental health illnesses. By reducing the everyday triggers to stress and anxiety, mental
health can be improved. From most students’ responses, it appears stress and anxiety can be a
mental health illness that can be significantly reduced with a few changes from Washington State
University.
2. Stressful college environment
Mostly every participant agreed that college in some way is a stressful environment. It is
a mutual consensus among participants that stress can have an effect on one’s mental health and
well-being. Explanations regarding a stressful college environment can be seen below:
Interviewer: “I am going to read you a definition of mental health from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Mental health is: “a state of well-being in which the
individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can
work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her

24

community.” Based on that definition, do you think that mental health is an important
issue at WSU? “
Participant: “100 percent. College is stressful and that creates a lot of problems for
people our age.”
Another respondent stated the following:
community.” Based on that definition, what do you think are some types of mental health
disorders or challenges?”
Participant: “I know some people have problems getting out of bed, doing their
homework, studying for an exam, focusing on class. Hanging out with people, a social
anxiety aspect like not.”
Based on the responses, students are reporting that a stressful college environment is one
of the top factors regarding mental health. By improving the college environment, Washington
State University can improve mental health for students.
3. Mental health is important at WSU
Every participant unanimously agreed that mental health is an important issue at
Washington State University. Participants mentioned in particular that mental health is especially
relevant at an academic institution where stress levels are high, students are away from home,
and dealing with money struggles.
The pressure to succeed academically and in everyday life makes students believe mental
health is important at Washington State University. Evidence regarding students’ beliefs towards
mental health at Washington State University can be seen below:

25

community.” Based on that definition, do you think that mental health is an important
issue at WSU?”
Participant: “I would say so because college is an extremely stressful environment,
you’re away from home and to some people that doesn’t matter and they’re not super
attached to home but at the same time you’re here trying to make friends, you’re trying to
pass your classes, you’re trying to pay your way, there’s just so many things. I feel like
this environment in general really needs to pay a lot of attention to it.”
Another respondent stated the following to the same question:
Participant: “I do. It affects a lot of our students in their day-to-day lives. It can affect
them to the worst outcome such as taking their own lives or not doing well in school.”
Based on responses, students believe mental health is extremely important at Washington
State University. Students believe this to be true because it is a college environment. If
Washington State University can recognize the important of mental health on its campus, the
overall mental health well-being of students can be improved.
Confusion On:
1. Resources for mental health
2. How to handle a mental crisis
1. Resources for mental health
Many of the participants were unaware of the resources at Washington State University
for mental health. This includes the names of resources, their location, and what they offer. Some

26

students knew some information regarding resources, but not enough to make it useful. Below
are some responses regarding the resources for mental health:
Interviewer: “What does WSU do to support student’s mental health?”
Participant: “I think they offer those types of services, maybe they should get the word
out a little better.”
Interviewer: “Have you heard about any mental health resources on campus?
Participant: “I have. I’ve heard of the, I don’t know what it’s specifically called, but
there’s one if you’re depress and stuff that you can go see.”
Interviewer: “What does WSU do to support student’s mental health? What do you think
they could do better?”
Participant: “WSU offers the counseling service, which I think is a great service. I
mean, I think if anything they can advertise it better. Not to say it is poorly advertised,
but maybe for incoming students who are still trying to familiarize themselves with what
WSU has to offer. Whereas a current student may know the resources available.”
Based on the responses, students are confused about the available resources for mental
health. This appears to be because the resources are poorly advertised and the students do not
know about them. Although students are unaware of some resources, they do not know enough
to utilize and reach out to them. In order for the resources to be effective, Washington State
University needs to make the resources more accessible, known, and approachable.
2. How to handle a mental crisis
Based on the responses, participants are not completely sure on how they would handle a
mental crisis. This means they are unsure of the resources, mental health signs, and people to
contact in order to get help. However, some participants did know some resources but there was
not a consensus on one important resource. Responses regarding how to handle a mental crisis
can be seen below:

27

Interviewer: “If your friend were having a mental crisis at WSU, how would you handle
the situation?”
Participant: “Oh. Obviously I’d be there for them 100 percent, but I don’t really know if
there’s a place I could call about that.”
More respondents stated the following to the same question:
Participant: “Depending on the degree of it, I would, if it wasn’t rushed I would just try
to get them to go in to see someone, where if it was a serious situation I would contact
someone immediately.”
Participant: “I think that if I personally was going through a mental health crisis I would
reach out to my family and have them help me seek the right resources.”
Based on the responses, students are unaware of how to react to a mental crisis. This is
partly because they are unaware of the resources to refer people to. If all students were on the
same page and knew of a few good resources to refer to, more people would know how to handle
a crisis. More training or communication regarding mental health could also be effective.
Difficulties With:
1. Mental health is not talked about
2. Counseling and Psychological Services
3. Stronger campus community
1. Mental health is not talked about
Almost every participant but one agreed that mental health is not talked about at
Washington State University. Participants gave several reasons as to why this is the case; it’s
potentially embarrassing, there’s a negative connotation, and they’re the only one experiencing
it. Below are some responses as to why participants believe mental health is not talked about:

28

Interviewer: “Do you think people talk about mental health at WSU?”
Participant: “Every so often somebody is on the mall talking about it, but it’s not like an
everyday conversation people are having.”
Interviewer: “Why do you think they don’t?”
Participant: “There’s just kind of a negative stigma attached with mental health. It’s
either people don’t believe it’s real or they kind of just tell you to get over it versus
actually helping you. So there’s a negative connotation with it.”
Interviewer: “Do people talk about mental health at WSU?’
Participant: “Maybe not as much as they could be. I mean obviously at the Washington
Building, where Health and Wellness is located, the outreach program is there. But, I do
not think it is a big enough point that could be made on campus about the stigma around
mental health.”
Based on the responses, students believe mental health is not talked about because of the
stigma around it. Students do not believe others feel comfortable talking about mental health
issues on campus. In order for mental health to become normalized, communication regarding
mental health must begin. In order to communication to begin, people must feel comfortable
talking about the subject free from judgement.
2. Counseling and Psychological Services
Many of the participants had heard about Counseling and Psychological services prior to
the interview. However, there were some participants that did not know much about it. Below are
some responses regarding counseling and psychological services.
Interviewer: “Have you ever heard of WSU Counseling and Psychological Services?”
Participant: “I just know from that suicide prevention class that you can call them and
they’re not the therapists but they know the resources of where to put you.”
Participant: “I know if you’re having issues they’ll talk to you about it and that’s kind of
about it.”

29

Interviewer:” Can you tell me anything you know about WSU Counseling and
Psychological Services, aka CAPS?”
Participant: “So they have walk-in hours, basically you just kind of walk in and do an
intake and then I think they see you within 20-30 minutes if they have available spaces.
They kind of evaluate you and decide if you need a group session or if you need an
individual session, and then they re-evaluate you after the group session and decide if you
need more counseling.”
Based on the responses, half the students knew about the WSU Counseling and
Psychological Services very well and the other half knew very limited information. The students
who did know about the WSU Counseling and Psychological services found it helpful. If the
other half of the students knew about the WSU Counseling and Psychological services, there
could be a higher attendance and improvement in mental health on campus.
3. Stronger campus community
When participants were asked how Washington State University could create a stronger
campus community there was a wide range of responses.
Most of the responses involved creating more events, activities, and groups on campus. Below
are some of the participants’’ ideas regarding building a stronger campus community:
Interviewer: “How do you think WSU could create a stronger campus community?”
Participant: “More activities that a campus can do together to meet more people, just fun
things.”
Participant: “I think they could just have events. I meant they do a good job of putting
on events but rather than just one week of awareness or putting out those emails during
dead and finals week, do more for it. Kind of, get those people and services there at the
event and just make it approachable so it’s not for a select community but something that
more of the school body would like to attend. Get creative.”
Based on the responses, students believe there should be more events, activities, and
groups on campus. Students believe these events should be fun and interactive in order to get

30

people to participate. Students are also seeing a divide between groups at Washington State
University. Therefore, events and activities that build a stronger campus community will be the
most effective.
Quantitative Results
Palouse PR wants to understand WSU students’ perceptions of mental health and their
willingness to participate in mental health initiatives and activities on campus. In a quantitative
survey, participants were asked a combination of questions about demographics, media use, and
student club and activity involvement. The responses from our sample show that participants are
aware of mental health resources at WSU but mental health is not a frequently discussed topic.
Table 4
In the chart above, it is clear that there is a lack of discussion surrounding mental health
on the WSU Pullman campus. When combining percentages, about half (47.5%) of students
responded that mental health is ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ discussed and another 43 percent answered
that it is is only ‘occasionally’ talked about. Less than 10 percent of participants responded that
mental health is discussed in a ‘moderate’ to ‘great deal’ amount. This is a clear indication that a

31

mental health communication strategy would be a useful method to increase student awareness at
the WSU Pullman campus.
Table 5
Table 6
Data from the charts above further illustrate that WSU students are aware of resources
available on campus if they are experiencing mental health issues. However, over half of the
participants’ responses from Table 7 show that they do not not know how to access these
services. The data suggests that there is a lack of information distribution in the current health

32

and wellness system at WSU. It appears that many students would not know exactly who to
reach out to if they were struggling with a mental health issue.
Table 7
Table 8
The charts above show consensus that WSU students acknowledge that mental health
problems are extremely common and people with mental illnesses are positive contributors to
society. Very few participants disagree on those ideas which indicates that they have been
previously educated on mental health or have a general awareness and compassion for it.

33

Table 9
The chart above holds a very revealing set of data about mental illness perceptions. The
majority of participants agree or strongly agree that stigma and fear of discrimination is what
holds people back from seeking help for their mental health. Because of this, we can infer that
the current tone toward mental illnesses leans negative at the WSU Pullman campus.
Table 10

34

Table 11
Participants were asked a series of questions about their interest and willingness to
participate in mental health related projects on campus. Data from Table 11 shows that more than
half of participants would be willing to participate in events to reduce mental health stigma
without any incentive. However, many (33.3%) neither agree nor disagree to participating in
such projects. The data suggests that these participants may be undecided or indifferent about
reducing mental health stigma.
In contrast, when an incentive is provided in Table 12, over 80 percent of participants
either agree or strongly agree to participating in stigma reducing projects. The same was true
when incentives were mentioned in other survey questions including gaining extra credit and
experience that could be added to a future resume. Because of this, we can see a direct
correlation between the addition of incentives and participants’ increased interest to participate in
mental health projects on the WSU campus.
Implications of Results
Within the scope of research completed by Palouse PR, we have developed
recommendations for WSU Health and Wellness. These recommendations are based off of the
research we completed and analyzed.

35

The research we completed was an extensive research campaign to identify WSU
student’s opinions and overall knowledge about the services provided by WSU Health and
Wellness. The research we completed was conducted using qualitative and quantitative research
methods. According to our quantitative research, students feel mental health illnesses are a
prominent issue on campus. However, over half of the WSU students did not know how to
adequately access the mental health services provided by WSU Health and Wellness for either a
friend or themselves. A majority of students felt that if there were improved methods of
advertising these mental health services on campus, students would be more likely to attend and
seek the help they, or a friend, may need. Our qualitative research determined that if a student
encountered a mental health crisis they would not know how to approach it.
By utilizing the research findings, we developed suggestions to help fulfill the needs of
WSU Health and Wellness’ mission to help rid the campus community of mental health stigmas.
In order to complete the goal of ending mental health stigmas on WSU’s campus, we suggest the
following strategies. The first strategy will enable WSU Health and Wellness to reach a wider
range of students by utilizing two-way communication techniques on WSU Health and Wellness’
social media pages. After analyzing the data of our research, it is clear there is a need on campus
to promote mental health services that will teach students how to deal with mental health crisis
situations. This can be done by utilizing an intern to help run the social media campaign. This
campaign will be the most effective way to reach students who are in tune with social media
platforms. These social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The next suggestion would be creating a website dedicated to the campaign. This allows
people interested in taking part, or people seeking services for their own mental health illnesses,
an easy avenue to find a website where they can find the answers they are looking for. Another

36

suggestion Palouse PR generated was the implementation of events that will be interactive along
with some incentives involved. Our research found students would be more likely to attend
mental health illness events if they were interactive and an incentive was offered for attending.
Keeping common themes and messages about reducing mental health stigma on campus and the
skills to combat a mental health illness would help WSU Health and Wellness’ campaign reach
continued success. These messages need to be consistently focused on mental health reduction
on campus.
In order to evaluate the campaign’s success, the number of interactions on social media
and number of website page views would need to be recorded. Using these numbers, compare
them to the attendance of the events, and also the number of students who seek mental health
services per year. This process should be done for the next year as well to see if the campaign
has helped raise awareness for mental health on campus by seeking out students looking for
mental health services that may not have the year prior.
Additional suggestions and evaluation strategies will be outlined throughout the proposed
plan section of the final campaign book.
Proposed Communication Plan
In terms of a campaign, there are three major things we at Palouse PR would like to do: a
fun walk, social media strategies and an event on campus featuring Health and Wellness Services
and other resources. After surveys and interviews, we feel this is the best step in a new direction.
These are plans that can grow in time with the overall campaign regarding mental health stigma
reduction.

37

Goals
Moving forward, we have put together goals to look forward to in the future. In
accordance with our overall research goals, we have three major goals we hope to reach with this
campaign.
1. Raise the number of WSU Pullman students seeking treatment for mental health
issues
The number of students seeking help for mental health issues is relatively low across the
country due to the stigma surrounding it, according to the Association for Psychological Science.
At WSU, we hope to change this. Raising the number of students who simply seek help is
attainable at a basic level through this campaign. Through research, we found that many people
at WSU feel that people do not seek help because they think they will be judged. The number of
students going to Health and Wellness Services for mental health issues is unknown, but it is
data that can be found easily.
2. Raise the number of WSU Pullman students attending and engaging with these
activities and events
Currently, the only thing that Health and Wellness Services does is workshops. We
believe that if there were more fun activities, students would participate. Through this campaign,
we hope to plan and execute activities and events that students will look forward to. We want
WSU students to feel open and comfortable in engaging in events regarding mental health and
the stigma around it. We recognize that these events could very well make the stigma worse on
campus, but we hope for the opposite.

38

3. Make students comfortable with the conversation surrounding mental health
issues and reduce the stigma on campus
Through this campaign and our first two goals, we hope that students become more
comfortable with the conversation about mental health issues. As students become more
comfortable with the conversation, the stigma will be reduced. This is not something that
happens overnight, but over a year. Change can even occur in a semester as students become
more comfortable with the idea of mental health issues.
Objectives
Along with the goals set for this campaign, there are objectives that go with those goals.
Throughout the campaign, some of them will change simply because of the development and
growth of such a campaign. These objectives are for semester one and two of the overall
campaign.
Semester One Objectives
During the first semester, this campaign will be very new to the entire WSU Pullman
campus. The idea is to start small and gain momentum from there so eventually this becomes a
well-known campaign on campus.
1. To hire two interns to work with HWS regarding social media and student
interaction.
We suggest that both interns be either communication students or DTC (Digital
Technology and Culture) students with a reasonable GPA and some experience. At a minimum,
the intern should be able to commit one full school year with Health and Wellness Services, but

39

can be taken on for just one semester on a case-by-case situation with the right candidate. These
interns should be current WSU students and be comfortable with discussing mental health issues
to the general student population. These positions will be paid. Each intern will receive a stipend
of $500 per semester. Details regarding annual budget for can be seen in the budget section.
2. To revamp social media, both improving current strategies and implementing new
ones.
In terms of social media, the first thing that must be done is revamp the current strategies
and then implement new strategies, which will be laid out in the strategies section. Revamping
current social media will take a few tweaks. This is something the interns will be able to start on.
Facebook is the only form of social media currently used by Health and Wellness Services.
We recommend that the interns and the team at Health and Wellness Services perfects the
content of Facebook before moving on to all social media platforms. This will further be
discussed in the strategies section.
Semester Two Objectives
During the second semester of this campaign, it will no longer be a brand-new idea.
Mental health issues may still remain an uncomfortable conversation for some, but many
students will find it easier to talk about mental health issues and the stigma will be reduced in
time. With a little bit of momentum, Health and Wellness Services will be able to move forward
knowing what worked in the first semester and what did not.
1. To gain interest in the events that the Health and Wellness staff, interns and
volunteers will be hosting.

40

Holding events in the second semester of this campaign will be more beneficial than starting
in the first. Students will be more familiar with the concept of discussing mental health issues
and the stigma around them. The hope is that WSU Pullman students will go to the events and
participate in the campaign strategies that will be laid out in the strategies section.
2. To bring the campus community closer together through events.
Through the events we will outline in the strategies section, we hope that the general WSU
Pullman campus is brought close together regarding mental health awareness. By teaching
students about the resources available to them in a causal manner, the hope is that students take
advantage of these resources and feel more comfortable talking about these issues without
judgement.
Strategies
In order to achieve our goals and objectives, we have laid out three major strategies in
order to create a fully successful campaign. These strategies have been thought out and planned
by our team and we believe these are the best options for Health and Wellness Services moving
forward.
1. 5k Fun Walk and Run
By hosting a 5k Fun Walk and Run, we hope to not only increase awareness of this
campaign and mental health, but we hope to have students participate in an activity. After doing
outside research, we noticed that many universities do this, including the University of Idaho just
across the border. Throughout surveys and interviews, many students who were interviewed
expressed interest in activities, not just classes or workshops. A 5k Fun Walk and Run gives
students that chance to participate in an activity.

41

Mental health is directly connected with overall physical health. By hosting a 5k Fun
Walk and Run, Health and Wellness Services would be promoting both while focusing on mental
health.
This 5k Fun walk and Run would start and end on campus, close to the Washington
Building where Health and Wellness Services is located (see Figure 1). The 3.1-mile route will
take students through campus.
Figure 1
This route will take participants through nearly the entire campus and it will have a start
and finish line right outside of Health and Wellness Services on Washington Street. This 5k will
not be certified by USA Track and Field.
As a memento, the first 100 participants present at the day of the event will be given a
keychain (see Figure 2), specially ordered online for this campaign.

42

Figure 2
The hope with having an item to give away is that participants will remember the event,
spread the word and register and attend other events in the future. The keychains feature the
WSU Cougar logo and our official campaign hashtag, #StigmaFreeCougs.
2. Individual Social Media Strategies
Our social media strategies will come out to two parts: revamp current channels and create an
Instagram campaign.
Part One: Revamp current social media channels
Currently, the only social media channel used by Health and Wellness Services is
Facebook. Overall it is a quality channel. With the help of interns however, this channel can be
perfected. As mentioned in the objectives section, there are just a few tweaks that we
recommend.
• Change the name on Facebook to reflect Health and Wellness Services. Students
may not be sure of what “WSU Coug Health” means or who is running the

43

channel. The name should be something like “WSU Health and Wellness
Services,” with the handle being @WSUHWS.
• Making the “About” section more informational. Taking it from simple to
something long-form will be worthwhile so students know exactly what help they
can get at Health and Wellness Services and where exactly to go to get that help.
• When posting links to articles, make sure to remove the link once the preview
comes up. This is such a small thing but it gives the page an overall cleaner look.
• Create a content calendar. Having a content calendar will help with knowing what
to post and how often to post. It is not necessary to post every day, but there
should be new content twice or three times a week, whether it be articles,
highlights of different parts of Health and Wellness Services or information
regarding resources, including events.
These skills can be transferred to different channels when it comes time to add new social
media channels, but for now our team recommends that Health and Wellness Services perfects
Facebook.
Part Two: New Instagram Campaign
One of the biggest parts of this campaign and the one we believe will make the largest
impact is an Instagram campaign. Although Health and Wellness Services does not currently use
Instagram, we believe it is something worth investing time into.
While creating an Instagram account, we hope that Health and Wellness Services will use
the official university shield located on brand.wsu.edu and create an account in accordance with
the Coug Health Facebook page.

44

The main campaign for Instagram that we have created is a #StigmaFreeCougs campaign.
The idea behind this hashtag campaign stems from the idea that Cougs do not stigmatize mental
health issues.
An initial post will reveal a board that we have created showing an axis of emotions (see
Figure 3) with the caption “I feel ________ today. #StigmaFreeCougs Post a picture explaining
how you feel today on campus and use the hashtag! #WSU #GoCougs”
Figure 3
By promoting this hashtag, students will become more comfortable with the conversation
about mental health and the stigma surrounding it. The hashtag should be used by Health and
Wellness Services whenever posting about this campaign or events related to this campaign.
The board (Figure 3) was created in hopes that it gets created in real life and is kept on
the third floor of the Washington Building between ADCAPS and Behavioral Health. There will
be pins and pre-printed emojis available to pin up on the board. This is a board that will be
movable, with the hope that it is taken to a 5k Fun Walk and Run, as well as a mental health fair.

45

3. Campus Event: Mental Health Fair
Our biggest strategy regarding this campaign is a Mental Health Fair which will be
hosted on campus. The idea is to create an open event where students can come learn about
different resources on campus and in the Pullman community. Cougar cards will be checked
upon arrival as this event is only for WSU students.
After looking at several locations, we recommend the use of Ensminger Pavilion located
on Wilson Road. Being near central campus, the location is easily accessible to students by foot.
Ensminger Pavilion has a capacity of 200-400 people depending on set up, which is perfect for
this type of event. Ensminger Pavilion also has 36 eight-foot tables available for rent; we
anticipate using 20 tables total.
The idea is that this event is a fair of different vendors from the WSU campus and the
Pullman community including:
• Health and Wellness Services
Present to promote all services offered, as well as explain the
#StigmaFreeCougs campaign.
• ADCAPS and Behavioral Health
Present to promote services the two offices offer and how to get started
with these services.
• UREC
Present to promote and offer different fitness classes, such as yoga or spin.
• SEB’s Pet Your Stress Away

46

Present to promote the event, as well as host a smaller version of Pet Your
Stress Away at the Mental Health Fair.
• Sanctuary Yoga
Present to promote their business and services, as well as distribute a
limited number of coupons.
• Restaurants in Pullman that offer healthy meals
Present to promote their businesses and distribute coupons and flyers.
• Creative options, such as Wild @ Art from Moscow, Idaho
Present to offer creative outlets for those with mental health issues.
• And other businesses that promote health in one way or another
The overall goal of a Mental Health Fair is to promote the options and resources available
to students. This is meant to be a fun activity for students to participate in while offering up
resources readily available. Each non-WSU group will be given $150, up to the first nine groups
or businesses. This is meant to be a reimbursement of their time and coupons.
Tactics
In order to successfully implement our campaign, the previously mentioned objectives
and goals will need to be fully implemented. The following tactics will complete the overall
campaign:
• Hire two interns who will be working on social media, events and general
outreach on campus. The hiring process should be complete by late-April of 2017.

47

• Plan and hold the previously explained events, including a 5k Fun Walk and Run
and a Mental Health Fair. Both will take place in the Fall 2017 semester after the
two interns have planned the events.
• Inform the entire Health Promotion staff of this campaign during the Spring 2017
semester, making sure everyone understands the campaign and is able to
implement it to the best of their ability.
These tactics give a measurable time frame of when things should be happening
regarding this campaign. With the goals, objectives and strategies, these tactics should be easily
achieved.
Timeline
The following timeline is an outline of when we recommend different tasks to be
accomplished for greater success.
Table 12
Task Month/Year
Meet with all Health Promotion staff to go over the campaign in
depth. If any questions come up, Amanda Boyd can be contacted.
January 2017
Prepare intern application and content to advertise the internships
being offered.
February 2017
Advertise the search for two interns via email listserv, Facebook
and posters throughout Health and Wellness Services. Send the link
to the application with these.
March 6, 2017

48

Close applications for interns. April 7, 2017
Finish interviewing candidates and decide on two students to be
hired on as interns.
April 19, 2017
Bring interns in for hiring paperwork and training. May 1, 2017
Once interns return to school in August, plan the 5k Fun Walk and
Run and the Mental Health Fair.
August 2017
Host the 5k Fun Walk and Run September 2017
Implement social media strategies, including the launch of the
Instagram campaign.
October 2017
Host the Mental Health Fair. October 2017
Have interns begin the planning process for the Spring 2018 events. November 2017
Budget
With the maximum budget of $5,000 and two interns, we were able to do everything we
had thought of planning previously. The annual budget is as follows:
Table 13
Item Amount Cost Running Total
Intern stipend. Per semester (only Fall and Spring) 2 $500 $2,000
Keychains for 5k Fun Walk and Run, ordered from
zazzle.com
100 $2.70 $2,270
Emoji board, ordered online 1 $500 $2,770
Pins for emoji board 1 pack $20 $2,790

49

Printed emojis, printed from Printing Services. 100
emojis will be printed and cut.
1 $50 $2,840
Ensminger Pavilion event rental (charge for WSU
Departments)
1 $240 $3,080
Ensminger Pavilion, cleaning deposit 1 $150 $3,230
Tables, rented from Ensminger Pavilion 20 $5 $3,330
Payment for non-WSU groups and businesses to be
at Mental Health Fair, maximum 9
9 $150 $4,680
Incidentals 1 $300 $4,980
TOTAL $4,980
Conclusion
After our primary research for our situational analysis, we concluded that a mental health
stigma reduction campaign is imminent for the Washington State University campus. Our
research determined that mental health is a serious issue on campus and it needs to be addressed.
Unfortunately, mental health is highly stigmatized and therefore possibly proved to be a difficult
task to accomplish. Palouse PR put forth their best effort and is confided we have found a
solution to the problem. The problem we worked to solve is: Washington State University does
not have enough resources, programs, or services for students with mental health problems.
The results from our qualitative and quantitative research reflected that students believe
mental health issues are prominent on campus. Over half of these students were not aware of the
resources available to address these mental health issues. Our results also reflected that if

50

improved methods were used to advertise mental health resources on campus, students would
utilize them.
From these results, we have recommended some strategies. The first strategy would be to
utilize two-way communication techniques on WSU Health and Wellness’ social media pages.
This will include an Instagram campaign. The second strategy would be to create a website
dedicated to the campaign. The last strategy would be to implement interactive events that will
offer an incentive. These events include a 5k fun run/walk and a mental health fair.
Due to the engaging, interactive, and fun nature of these events, we anticipate high
attendance. In order to ensure of this, we will record the number of interactions on social media
and the number of website page views. We will also record student attendance at events and
those seeking help for mental health services. This record keeping will be repeated for the
following year to see if it is successful and what should be changed to improve the campaign.

51

References
Adams, P. (2016, September 6). Paula Adams HWS Interview [Personal interview].
American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Washington State
University Executive Summary Spring 2016. American College Health Association.
Hanover, MD: American College Health Association; 2016.
HHS. (n.d.). What is Mental Health? Mental Health. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from
https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health/index.html
HWS. (2016). WSU Coug Health. Retrieved December 01, 2016, from
https://www.facebook.com/CougHealth
Project Healthy Campus, Health & Wellness Services. Washington State University. (n.d.)
Retrieved September 26, 2016, from https://hws.wsu.edu/project-healthy-campus/.
Programs & Outreach, Health & Wellness Services. Washington State University. (n.d.).
Retrieved September 27, 2016, from https://hws.wsu.edu/programs-outreach/
Services, Health & Wellness Services. Washington State University. (n.d.). Retrieved September
27, 2016, from https://hws.wsu.edu/medical-clinic/services/
Stigma as a Barrier to Mental Health Care. Association for Psychological Science (2014,
September 4). Retrieved from
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/stigma-as-a-barrier-to-mental-health-
care.html#.WCZd5PorK00.
WSU. (n.d.). WSU At A Glance. Retrieved 2016, from https://wsu.edu/about/facts/
WSU NEWS (2016, September 16). WSU reports record enrollment for semester, WSU News.
Washington State University. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from

52

https://news.wsu.edu/2016/09/16/wsu-provost-reports-system-wide-record-enrollment-
semester/.

53

Appendix
The following appendix includes our biography, tables and figures, interview protocol,
survey protocol, interview transcripts, and confidentiality agreement.

54

Biography
Paula Adams,
Thank you for selecting Palouse PR to represent you. At Palouse PR, we consistently provide our customers with
clear visions, creative plans, and attainable goals. At this time, we would like to take the time to introduce you to our
agency.
Hailee Codiga will be the primary contact for Palouse PR. She is more than happy to address any questions,
concerns, or feedback. You can reach her at the following:
Phone: 206. 271. 2920 Email: hailee.codiga@wsu.edu
Thank you again for choosing Palouse PR for your organization’s needs. We are honored to be working with you.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Monroe is a senior at Washington State University majoring in public relations at
the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. This summer, she helped a local business
leverage their presence on social media. Jacqueline has gained international journalism
experience during her study abroad to London where she reported on large-scale sports and arts
events including Wimbledon and Medea at the National Theatre. Jacqueline plans to find a
professional role within the fashion or health industries.
Ian Korzeniecki is a senior at Washington State University majoring in the Edward R.
Murrow College of Communication, specializing in public relations, and minoring in Sport
Management. He is entering his second full year as a student assistant in the WSU Athletic
Communications office, mainly contributing to WSU women’s swimming and men’s
basketball. Ian also completed an internship with the Tacoma Rainiers over the summer of
2016 where he helped lead the Rainiers media relations team in every aspect.

Hailee Codiga is receiving a degree in strategic communication, as well as a minor in sport
management. She has experience in donor relations with the Cougar Athletic Fund at
Washington State University, as well as many customer service positions with the USGA and
the PGA. Upon graduation, she hopes to gain experience in the public relations field,
particularly in sport.

Ashley Wirta is a senior at Washington State University majoring in strategic
communication with a focus in public relations at the Edward R. Murrow College of
Communication. Her goal is to attain a public relations career at a public institution,
government institution, or non-profit organization. Ultimately, Ashley hopes her public
relations career utilizes community outreach, risk communication, and stakeholder liaison.

55

Palouse PR
Tables and Figures
Table 1: WSU suicidal thoughts and behaviors rates compared to national data…………….....14
Table 2: Percentage of WSU students experiencing early mental health problems……...….15-16
Table 3: Percentage of WSU students who seriously considered suicide from 2010-2015…….16
Table 4: Frequency of mental health discussed on WSU campus………………………………30
Table 5: Resources available for mental health at WSU………………………………………..31
Table 6: Student access to mental health services on campus…………………………………..31
Table 7: Mental Illness in American Families…………………………………………………..32
Table 8: WSU students’ perception of people with mental health…………………………...…32
Table 9: Causes preventing people from seeking help for mental health……………………….33
Table 10: Student participation in mental health related events on WSU campus……………...33
Table 11: Student participation in mental health related events on WSU campus……………...34
Table 12: Timeline……………………………………………………………………...……47-48
Table 13: Budget………………………………………………………………………......…48-49
Figure 1: 5k Fun walk and Run Route………………………………………………………..…41
Figure 2: Keychain given away at the 5k Fun walk and run……………………………..……..42
Figure 3: Emoji board…………………………………………………………………………...44

56

Interview Protocol
Client: Health and Wellness Services
October 6, 2016
Version 1
Introduction Question
Why did you choose to attend Washington State University?
Exploratory Questions
WSU Involvement and Information Seeking
1. What activities are you involved in at WSU?
a. What attracted you to that group?
b. How did you initially hear about it?
2. How do you get information about activities or organizations on campus?
Possible probing questions:
Why do you use that method?
Are there methods that organizations use that you find do not work at all?
3. What forms of social media do you use most?
4. Are you enrolled in the WSU alert service (or some other automated text messaging
service)?
Why or why not?
Mental Health Programs and Resources
5. Have you ever heard of WSU Health and Wellness Services?
a. If they say yes or maybe: Can you tell me about it?
6. When I (we) say the word ‘mental health’ what comes to mind?
7. If you or a friend were having a mental health crisis at WSU, how would you handle
the situation, or what would you do? E.g. depression, panic attack, anxiety, etc.
8. Do you think that mental health is an important issue among the WSU community?
Why or Why not?
9. Have you heard about any mental health resources on campus?
Possible probing questions

Where did you hear about these resources?
What are your opinions about these resources?
What would make students want to use these resources?

Mental Health Initiatives at WSU
10. Do you have a support system or people that you can count on here at WSU?

57

Possible probing
• Who?
• How do they support you?
• How do you think WSU could create a stronger campus community?
11. What kind of initiatives or activities that support mental health would you be
willing to participate in?
Possible probing questions – If they don’t know of any or need suggestions:
Speakers Series
Fun Walks/Runs
12. Do you have any other ideas about mental health initiatives others may be interested
in?
Possible probing questions – Have you seen examples on other campuses?
Or possible initiatives in the media?
Ending Question:
Thank you for the great discussion. We have now learned more about your attitudes
towards mental health, WSU Health and Wellness Services, where you get your
information and what activities you take part in at WSU (summarize discussion). Is there
anything we’ve missed, or that you would like to add?

58

Survey Protocol
We are a group of students studying public relations, campaign planning and management at Washington
State University. We are collecting information from undergraduate students on the WSU Pullman
campus about their opinions of health and wellness.
Please participate in our project by answering the following questions. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is completely voluntary. You can quit the study at any time and you do not
have to answer any questions that you do not want to answer.
You have until October 26th to complete the survey. On that date, we will download responses to the
survey and store the data on a secure computer in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. We
will not associate any participants with their individual answers.
If you have questions about the study, please contact Dr. Amanda Boyd, Amanda.Boyd@wsu.edu. If you
have any questions about your rights as a study participant, you can call the WSU Institutional Review
Board at 5093359661.

Ethics and Participation Eligibility

By completing this survey, you agree that researchers can use the information you provide for academic
and research purposes.
Are you 18 years old or older?
• Yes
• No
Are you a student at WSU?
• Yes
• No
Are you willing to participate in this survey?
• Yes
• No
Media Use
The first few questions we will ask will focus on your use of national, regional, and local media.
How many hours do you spend doing each of the following activities each day?
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Snapchat
• Instagram

59

Do you receive WSU Alert Text Messages?
• Yes
• No
• I don’t know
How effective or ineffective do you think the WSU Alert Test Message system is?
● Very ineffective
● Ineffective
● Neutral
● Effective
● Very effective
● Not applicable
Clubs and Activities
Are you a member of any WSU clubs or organizations?
Yes
No (if no skip)
Please indicate which WSU organizations or clubs you are a member of (check all that apply):
• Greek Chapter
• Associated Students of Washington State University
• Student Entertainment Board
• Sports Clubs
• Philanthropic Clubs
• Organization related to major
• Other: ____________
Mental Health and Wellness
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements:
• Mental health is an important issue on the WSU campus
• WSU has resources for dealing with mental health issues
• I know how to access mental health services on campus
• I know where to access counselling serves on campus
• If a friend needed mental health services I know how to go about helping him/her
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements:
• Mental illnesses affect almost every family in America.
• People with mental illnesses make important contributions to our families and our communities.
• People with mental illnesses recover, often by working with mental health professionals and by
using medications, self-help strategies, and community supports.
• Stigma and fear of discrimination are key barriers that keep many people from seeking help.

60

How frequently or infrequently is mental health discussed on the WSU campus?
(scale frequently – never)
Who would contact if you or a friend needed mental health help? (choose all that apply)
Resident advisor
Hall director
Academic councilor
Student services
WSU Health and Wellness Services
WSU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Parents
Friends
Other (please note)
Which of the following are defined as mental health issues (check all that apply):
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Bipolar disorder
Depression
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Excess stress
Excess anxiety
Excess fear
Schizophrenia
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Mental Health Activities
Please indicate how likely or unlikely you would participate in the following activities to reduce
stigma around or promote mental health:
Fun walk or run
Guest speaker
Mental health fair
Information session about mental health
Text-message service with tips about promoting mental health
Video production competition focusing on ‘mental health promotion or stigma reduction’
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements about participating
in mental health stigma reduction events or activities:
Strongly agree – agree – neither agree nor disagree – disagree – strongly disagree

61

• I would participate in projects if I received community service hours
• I would participate in projects if I received extra credit for a course
• I would participate in projects if it gave me experience I could add to my resume
• I would participate because I would enjoy attending events to reduce mental health stigma
What would be your more preferred method of communication to learn more about campus health and
wellness initiatives? (Choose only one)
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Daily Evergreen
• Email
• Online Newsletter
• Other:
Demographics
Please select the option that best represents your current standing toward an undergraduate degree:
• Freshman
• Sophomore
• Junior
• Senior
• Graduate Student
How old are you?
What is your gender?
• Male
• Female
What is your major area of study?
• Agriculture Sciences
• Art, Architecture, and Design
• Biological and Environmental
• Sciences
• Business
• Communication
• Economics
• Education
• Engineering and Computer
• Science
• Foreign Languages and Culture

62

• Health Sciences
• History, Language, and Philosophy
• Music
• Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Pre-Professional Studies
• Social Sciences
• Sport and Fitness
• Other
Ending
Thank you for your time and participation in our survey.
Some Resources for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Promotion
If someone poses an immediate threat to themselves or others, call 911
Campus Resources
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 509-335-4511
CAPS after hours, weekends & holiday crisis services: 509-335-2159
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

63

Interview Transcripts
Interview 1
Agency: Palouse Public Relations
Client: Health and Wellness
Date: 10/26/2016
Sound File Name: Interview2_HW
Speaker Information:
I: Interviewer, Casey Parrott
P: Participant
I: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. To give you some background information, as part
of my Public Relations and Campaigns course, we are developing a communication
campaign to reduce stigma around mental health. Health and Wellness Services has
asked us to do some background research about WSU students’ views and perspectives of
mental health, activities students are involved with, among some other things. First, I am
going to go over some things. I will be recording this interview. I want to capture
everything you have to say. We don't identify anyone by name in our report. You will
remain anonymous. I will not be asking you any questions about your own mental
health. However, I am required to report any situations where I think someone is in
danger and I will need to find help. Do you have any questions?
P: Nope.
I: O.K. cool, I’ll have you sign this form.
I: First, we’d like to know why did you choose to attend Washington State?
P: I chose to attend Washington State because my mom went here for graduate school. And I
was just taught that Washington State is the best and you’re safe here and you know,
Washington State is the best.
I: You bet, what activities are you involved with here at WSU?
P: I am the treasurer for the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice National Honor Society.
I: Is there anything else?
P: Oh, and I’m a member of Kappa Sigma [laughs].

64

I: And how did you hear about both of those?
P: I heard about the former through a flyer. And I heard about the latter through a couple of
friends in the dorm.
I: How do you get information about activities or events on campus?
P: Usually email or by word-of-mouth.
I: Let’s talk about email a little bit, why do you use that method?
P: Because I get spammed with at least 20 emails a day on my wazzu email, so, I usually get to
see something.
I: You think that method might not work or?
P: It probably doesn’t because I end up just looking up the terms on blackboard and I can ignore
everything else.
I: Alright, are you enrolled in the WSU alert service on the text messaging thing?
P: Is that the one where they text and call you whenever there’s like an emergency going on?
Yep I am.
I: Why?
P: I honestly don’t remember why they just asked me if I wanted to know if something bad went
on campus and I decided sure that’d probably be a good idea. [Inaudible] Can have some
kind of an idea of what’s going on.
I: What do you think mental health means?
P: Mental health, I mean if we are going by dictionary definition it’s, oh wow you can’t use the
same word in the definition, uh it’s the standing of ones I would say ability to reason or
simply, yeah, the state of their mind at that point.
I: What are some types of mental health disorders or illnesses?
P: Autism, schizophrenia, PTSD, bi-polar disorder, anxiety, I don’t know if that’s really a mental
health disorder I mean if it’s too much it is.
I: Do you think stress or anxiousness can be defined as a mental health disorder?
P: I think if it’s going to an extreme degree like OCD or something or extreme anxiety.
I: Do people talk about mental health at wazzu?

65

P: I mean if you go to health and wellness or the counseling center I’m sure they do, I would say
that’s not a normal conversation at WSU.
I: And why not?
P: I think usually mental health is a very personal matter. People don’t really want to talk to each
other kinda like sexual health, so, it’s usually something people just want to keep to
themselves and ignore.
I: Where or how do you think students seek help for mental health challenges if they or a friend
need it?
P: I mean if it’s a serious uh like a serious condition that can be treated through medication such
as anxiety or something. It could be – go to health and wellness to say ‘hey I’m
experiencing this panic attack what do I do?’ I know the counseling centers also a really
good resource as far as that goes. I’m not sure of anything else I’m sure there are support
groups on campus but I’m not familiar with them.
I: if you or a friend were having a mental health crisis at wazzu how would you handle the
situation or what would you do?
P: I would call home first and foremost. After that I would seek out counseling and I would build
an extensive network of family and friends to support me.
I: I am going to read you a definition of mental health from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention [participant nods]. Mental health is: ‘a state of well-being in which the
community.’ Based on that definition, what do you think are some types of mental health
disorders or challenges?
P: I would still stress that PTSD, schizophrenia, all of the – autism, all those are still mental
health disorders since they can affect how you function in society and how you deal with
stress.
I: Again based on that definition, do you think that mental health is an important issue at WSU?
P: I don’t know the statistics are for mental health but I would say that mental health at wsu is
important in that uh you’re here at college to be productive and to get yourself an
education and if you’re having a mental impediment then that is an impediment that you
need to have looked at or managed or controlled [sneeze].
I: What does WSU do to support student’s mental health? What do you think they could do
better?

66

P: like I said the health and wellness center the counseling center, you’re able to go -- I know
you’re able to go -- I think it’s Lighty and go register yourself as a student with
disabilities. If you’re not able to, you know focus or having a rough time. So I think
wazzu does a lot to help people with mental illnesses.
I: I know you listed off a lot of, some mental health resources, but have you heard of any other
mental health resources on campus?
P: I have not, no.
I: So you did talk a little bit about the counseling and psychological services can you tell me
about it?
P: As far as I know they are completely confidential, whatever you say in there unless they feel
it’s going to be a direct threat to yourself or others. They won’t report it they can’t report
it they, as far as I know they take a very neutral stance. They completely hear you out and
they uh, they do what they can to help you.
I: Do you have a support system or people that you can count on here at WSU?
P: I have my family back at home, I have my fraternity and I have my friends around campus.
I: and how do they support you?
P: I would say definitely out of all those it’s my family and my fraternity that support me the
most. I can always go across the hall and go talk to some guys if things are getting me
down and my family is usually pr[laughs] pretty well versed in the mental illness.
I: and how do you think WSU can create a stronger campus community?
P: [hits lap with hands] I think that would be tough because for many mental illnesses they don’t
really want to admit to and they don’t want to talk about so that would be tough but I
would say if [snorts] excuse me, if wazzu -- I mean they already make the counseling
services free that’s a pretty healthy community I would say. I would say wazzu is doing
an excellent job with mental health as far as their responsibility with mental health goes.
I: Thank you for the great discussion. We have now learned more about your attitudes towards
mental health, where you get your information and what activities you take part in at
WSU. Is there anything we’ve missed, or that you would like to add?
P: Nope.

67

Interview 2
Agency: Palouse Public Relations
Client: Health and Wellness
Date: 10/26/2016
Sound File Name: Interview1_HW
Speaker Information:
I: Interviewer, Casey Parrott
P: Participant
I: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. To give you some background information, as part
of my Public Relations and Campaigns course, we are developing a communication
campaign to reduce stigma around mental health. Health and Wellness Services has
asked us to do some background research about WSU students’ views and perspectives of
mental health, activities students are involved with, among some other things. First, I am
going to go over some things. I will be recording this interview. I want to capture
everything you have to say. We don't identify anyone by name in our report. You will
remain anonymous. I will not be asking you any questions about your own mental
health. However, I am required to report any situations where I think someone is in
danger and I will need to find help. Do you have any questions?
P: No.
I: Alright will ya sign this for me please. First, I would just like to know why you chose to go to
Washington State.
P: Um, I’m a legacy and it was affordable, and close to home.
I: Cool, What activities are you involved in here?
P: I’m in a fraternity.
I: And what attracted you to the fraternity?
P: The, um, being able to identify with the group, and having fun with friends.
I: How did you initially hear about them? About Greek life.
P: My sister’s in a sorority and encouraged me to rush Greek.
I: Cool, how do you get information about events or activities on campus?
P: Through Facebook and Facebook groups.

WSU Mental Health Campaign _ Palouse PR

WSU Mental Health Campaign _ Palouse PR

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (16)

Similar to WSU Mental Health Campaign _ Palouse PR

Similar to WSU Mental Health Campaign _ Palouse PR (20)

WSU Mental Health Campaign _ Palouse PR