The Problem
The mental health crisis on college campuses is becoming increasingly apparent. Over 50% of college students experience mental health struggles, yet 75% of them do not seek professional help. The Healthy Mind Study has shown that 67% of college students first tell a friend they are feeling suicidal before telling anyone else.
Additionally, the study shows that 51.7% of students are concerned about their friends’ mental health. Most alarming of all, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. It is clear that mental health support and awareness are more critical than ever.
The Approach:
CogWell teaches college students how to intervene and help their friends, sorority sisters, frat brothers, and sports’ teammates of pre-professional club members. It could be to save a friends’ life or support a teammate struggling with the balance of sports and academics.
Student leaders recruit others to broaden the web of campus peer support. More students become comfortable speaking about their mental health and referrals for professional services increase.
CogWell is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization founded at the University of Pennsylvania by Rabbi Ephraim Levin with a board of mental health professionals. For more information please go to www.cogwell.org
CogWell Campus Chapters: University of Pennsylvania, Immaculata University, Villanova University, Neumann University
Excerpts from an interview with one of CogWell’s proud partners, Louis Piatetsky (1942-2022), a Decorated Purple Heart Veteran of the United States Navy:
Active Listening to me is you experiencing what they are experiencing now and that you can relate it to what they are doing and what they could do. It has to be active and current. It is very important because when you are dealing with a person in active crisis you need to be active. As a person who has been through PTSD and anyone who has experienced something similar to that it seems people don’t listen and things go in one ear and out the other. You have to make sure you are focusing on what the issue really is and not opinions of something you have nothing to do with like why this or why that.
I was raised to leave the earth better than you found it. I believe it’s important to let students know they should choose life over suicide. CogWell is a bridge that brings together people who are compassionate without forcing anything so that you know there are people out there that can help you. I consider it a gentle intervention because if you push too hard or too fast someone will shut down. It’s the whole generalization of cognitive wellness.”
Debby Armstrong, University of Pennsylvania Chapter President, Class of 2026
“CogWell has benefitted me in two main ways. The first way is that it has given me a safe space to come to every week with amazing people who are supportive and who check in on you. The second benefit of CogWell is that it gives you the opportunity to help people in your community build their active listening skills and work on talking about mental health.”
John Krimmel, Athletic Director, Neumann University
“The Listen Up Workshop provided realistic scenarios and practical education that allowed participants to understand the true power of listening. The delivery of the workshop allowed for better comprehension of the tools needed to be a more effective listener. Since our workshop here at Neumann, I have witnessed some of the student-athletes using what they learned in a variety of situations in and out of competition. The student-athletes have been much more intentional in making sure they put what they learned into practice. Seeing the student-athletes put what they learned into action truly shows the impact of this workshop.”
