Mental Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifespan
Mental well-being is a crucial aspect of overall health and quality of life, and it can significantly impact individuals across all stages of the lifespan. Mental health provides the foundation for our overall health and wellbeing. Today, our country is facing a mental health crisis, amplified by the COVID pandemic and social media, with increasing rates of loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
Youth Mental Health: A Silent Public Health Crisis
The manifestation of behavioral and mental health varies over the lifespan and across cultures. The current approach to behavioral health care in the United States is primarily a one-on-one approach that focuses on individuals who have a clinical diagnosis. This approach drastically limits the ability of community health providers to meet the needs of people whose level of psychological distress does not reach the diagnostic threshold. As a result, many people, especially youth, who experience high levels of stress and anxiety are left without appropriate psychological support and miss the opportunity for prevention and early intervention.
Children and adolescents face challenges related to peer relationships, academic pressure, and identity development. Supportive family environments, positive school experiences, and access to mental health resources are vital to foster mental well-being during these formative years.
To address these mental health challenges in youth, the college established several school and community programs such as Growing Girls, Guys After-School Mentorship & Education (GAME!), Healthy Schools Tucson, Healthy 2B Me Camp and Mamas e Hijas (Mothers and Daughters). Your support will provide the funds needed to sustain and expand our current school and community programs. Support will also help to develop new prevention and intervention approaches targeted to vulnerable at-risk populations, including but not limited to children and youth.
Mental Health for Older Adults
Many older adults experience challenges related to physical health, loss of loved ones, and social isolation. Promoting mental well-being during this stage of life involves addressing these issues, fostering social connections, and maintaining a sense of purpose and engagement.
Addressing mental well-being across the lifespan requires a holistic approach that considers individual, familial, social, and environmental factors. By investing in mental health promotion and providing accessible mental health services, societies can enhance the well-being of people of all ages. Your support will provide funds for education, programs, and research designed to improve mental health awareness and services for all our diverse communities. From an endowed chair with expertise in promoting community-wide mental health programs, to course development and funding to teach the new courses, we will build the next generation of public health leaders to solve our widespread mental health crisis.
Fund Raising Goals
| Priorities | Budget |
| Endowed Chair | $2,000,000: UA Eminent Scholar: match the payout for 5 years |
| Course Development | $100,000 (10 courses @ $10,000 each) |
| Teaching (campus & online) | $360,000 ($120K/YR for 3 years to teach 10 courses both on campus and online) |
| Pilot Projects | $300,000 (4 projects/year @ $25,000 each for 3 years) |
| Student Scholarships | $50,000 (2 scholarships @ $5,000 each for 5 years) |
| Children, School and Community Programs | $500,000 ($100,000/YR for 5 years) |
| Resiliency Fund to Support Students | $250,000 ($50,000/YR for 5 years ) |
More Information
If you would like more information about giving opportunities, please contact:
Kim Bourn
Director of Development
kbourn@arizona.edu
520-626-9508
