Health

Image of a visitor to a gallery looking a wall of poems with illustrations.

Students across the nation were challenged as the pandemic swept the world. Healing Stanzas, a collaboration between the Wick Poetry Center, the Healthy Communities Research Institute and the Brain Health Research Institute, seeks to combine the science of brain health and public health with the creative energy of the humanities to provide Kent State students, staff and faculty with an opportunity to improve wellness through reflective poetry.

Photo from the Ashtabula Nursing program

Intravenous (IV) needle insertion is a practice that many medical professionals learn and need to master. A new cross-departmental Kent State project in the works will help nursing students improve their skills with cutting-edge technology. 

Professional headshot of Dean Versie Johnson-Mallard.

The American Academy of Nursing recently announced that Versie Johnson-Mallard, Ph.D., APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, Kent State University College of Nursing Dean, professor and Henderson Endowed Chair, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors until 2024. In this role Johnson-Mallard will oversee the Academy’s strategic planning and financial management.  

Professional headshot of Dean Versie Johnson-Mallard.

The American Academy of Nursing recently announced that Versie Johnson-Mallard, Ph.D., APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, Kent State University College of Nursing Dean, professor and Henderson Endowed Chair, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors until 2024. In this role Johnson-Mallard will oversee the Academy’s strategic planning and financial management.  

Step Up and Speak Out is a collaborative initiative intended to better educate university community members on how to assist distressed or disruptive individuals.

Julia Hallgren didn’t know the student in front of her. She didn’t need to. “The student closed the door after they said they felt suicidal, (so) I knew I had to do something,” Hallgren said.

Picture of the front of Lowry Hall at Kent State

Ohio’s opioid epidemic is one of the worst in the country. One Kent State University professor and his team are aiming to change that. Deric Kenne in the College of Public Health received a five-year, $2.6 million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to expand and enhance services for opioid use disorder treatment in Summit County, Ohio. A significant portion of the funding will go to CHC Addiction Services to enhance and expand medication-assisted treatment programming.

Division of Research & Economic Development
Stigma Image with Adjectives. Photo: Courtesy of Christian Hopkins

When it comes to our physical health, regular upkeep and preventative measures are not only expected, but encouraged within our society. However, mental health disorders have yet to be looked upon with the same grace and understanding. Kristen Marcussen, associate professor in the Department of Sociology & Criminology, was recently awarded funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her proposal titled, “Understanding Social Stigma, Stigma Resistance and the Mental Illness Identity.”

Kid at school

Through a five-year, $625,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County will partner with Kent State University’s Center for Public Policy and Health in the College of Public Health to improve and support mental health in Portage County. 

A graphic of a megaphone speaking towards icons of a phone, magnifying glass, lightbulb, and YouTube logo by Mudassar Iqbal from Pixabay

The back-to-school season is in full swing, and students, faculty and staff are preparing to take on the increased workload once again. While the process is a fulfilling and rewarding experience, often the fast-paced lifestyle leaves little time for much else. However, Kim Laurene, Ph.D. and Deric Kenne, Ph.D., professors in the College of Public Health, and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Lamar R. Hylton, Ph.D., are committed to prioritizing mental health upkeep by supporting and expanding pre-existing services and programs offered at Kent State. 

Angela Neal-Barnett

Featured in the article “Black does Crack” from the San Diego Monitor-News, psychology professor Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D., shares perspectives and knowledge of the impact of the black female experience on mental health and how it should be considered in the world of therapy.