Vulnerability is power. That was one of the key messages imparted by Amber Riley, the featured speaker for CSUDH’s Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series on November 30. Riley, a Grammy-nominated singer, award-winning actor, producer, and author, spoke candidly about her personal journey of self-care and mental wellbeing, as well as the tools and lessons that have helped her along the way. The Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series program, established by CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham, invites celebrated public figures to discuss their experiences within the context of society’s most pressing issues. Riley is a vocal advocate of mental health and speaks openly about her ... Read More
Mental Health
CSUDH Mental Health Resources Expand and Adapt
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing hardships, college students were not immune to the nation’s widespread rise in mental health issues. Studies from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) found that pre-COVID, one in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 had a diagnosable mental illness. Among college students nationally, a recent Mayo Clinic study found that 30 percent reported experiencing depression in the past year, while 50 percent said they had felt “overwhelming anxiety” during the same time frame. Paradoxically, the restrictions placed on in-person meetings and counseling have made receiving mental health services more difficult. Creative ... Read More
Sac State: Moving Personal Stories, Plenty of Support Arise from Young Males of Color Conference
Source: Sacramento State Newsroom They overcame bullying, poverty, violence, and racism in their youths. Through remarkable perseverance, they made it into the CSU system. Now they are thriving. The four current CSU students and one recent graduate helped kick off the 2022 Young Males of Color Conference, held at Sacramento State April 6-7. The annual conference, which attracted more than 500 students, educators and others from across the CSU and beyond, explored challenges that Black, Latino, Pacific Islander, and Native American young men face in higher education, while also considering programs and approaches that help make success attainable. “The conference is a wonderful ... Read More
Irene Tung Earns Visionary Grant for Pregnancy Research
Assistant Professor of Psychology Irene Tung has been awarded a Visionary Grant from the American Psychological Foundation in the amount of $19,979. The grant, which seeks to support research that uses psychology to solve social problems, will fund Tung’s pilot study of emotional health and stress physiology during pregnancy for one year. Tung, who joined the CSUDH faculty in January 2022, began researching the impacts of early life stress on children’s development while earning her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. As she advanced throughout graduate school, she became interested in earlier developmental stages and how adverse experiences ... Read More
Tiffany Herbert Leads New Independent Student Psychological Services
With an eye toward strengthening the university's mental health services, CSUDH's Student Psychological Services has become independent from Student Health Services. The new department is being headed by Interim Director Tiffany Herbert, a long-time tenured faculty member and psychologist at CSUDH. “As a campus, we have had many discussions about the need for stronger and more robust mental health services,” says Vice President for Student Affairs William Franklin. “As we prepared for an academic year unlike any other, we had to brace for the likelihood of a larger wave of student mental health challenges. In light of those facts, and in consultation with former Director Janie MacHarg and ... Read More