New Student Wellness Program Values Creativity and Fitness As Keys to Mental Health

Rutgers-Newark is kicking off a multi-faceted student wellness program that offers massage, yoga classes, concerts, and arts workshops, in addition to traditional counseling and therapy.

Called “Power Your Potential,” the program, run by the Division of Student Affairs, moves beyond counseling to include physical fitness and creative expression, which are linked to mental health. 

It was designed to appeal to students who might want alternatives to talk therapy–although the program also includes access to counselors, and an anonymous online platform for students, called TogetherAll, which allows them to discuss mental health issues. In addition, there are free screenings that include evaluations for learning disabilities.

“When we were approaching this initiative, we wanted to focus on comprehensive wellness that showed the full range of what wellness can be,’’ said Casaundra Pagan, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing for the Division of Student Affairs.

“It’s a unique way to put the responsibility of wellness on the student. This way, they can figure out what wellness look like for them. When students make it a priority, they’re able to perform academically, they’re comfortable with this new social environment, and they can feel free to be themselves and open up,’’ she said.

According to the American College Health Association, in 2021 77 percent of college students reported having experienced moderate to severe psychological distress. Many students came of age during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote learning and isolation made a lasting impact on their social and emotional life.

“Students are wanting to know, how will my mental health be supported at your institution?” said Jean-Carlos López, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Health and Wellness, who led the program’s development with a $500,000 grant from the state. “It’s top of mind for students. Something we are seeing is that mental health is a priority.’’

Along with counseling and fitness classes, Power Your Potential features arts activities in partnership with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). It enables students to participate in creative workshops and attend special NJPAC viewings and performances for free.

Research has shown that being involved with arts and culture can improve mental health and Rutgers-Newark is one of only a few schools in the nation that offers arts programs to benefit student wellness, according to López.

The program considers the needs and time constraints of Rutgers-Newark students who have jobs and care for family members and was created with diversity in mind, since some students might come from cultural backgrounds where mental health counseling and therapy weren’t encouraged, said López.

 “One of the most important variables in treatment is culture,’’ he said “It mediates the way we perceive things and engage in the world. I’m Dominican and a first-generation immigrant. Mental health is not something that’s often championed in my culture. With counseling, there can be a sense of ‘why would you talk to a stranger about that?’’’ 

“Diversity is at the crux of what we do, which means therapy 101 might not be the best fit for you,’’ said López.