If you’re reading this, that means the semester is OFFICALLY OVER!!

For many, this may have been your final semester while for others, this was one step closer to the finish line!!! Either way, you did it despite the many challenges you may have faced along the way!

TO ALL THE GRADUATES – Congratulations on your well-deserved success. This has been a long journey but your resilience and perseverance brought you through! On behalf of Student Health Promotion and myself, we wish you the best of luck on your future aspirations!

P.s. one of our own, Samuel Dunklin, is officially an MPH graduate and we are so happy to be celebrating him (from a distance)…..SOOOOO CONGRATS SAM, we wish you nothing but the best in your many endeavors.

TO ALL MY RETURNERS – We shall meet again next semester for another year full of success and memories worth remembering. Until then, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Until then, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide public health issue that adversely affects millions of Americans. The phenomenon of ‘intimate partner violence’ (IPV) refers to physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Nearly, 29% of women and 10% of men have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/ or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Specifically, more than 43 million women and 38 million men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The number of IPV occurrences are preventable yet arises from a complex array of factors that are varied but depend on a person’s individual factors, relationship factors, community factors, and societal factors. This is a concern as those who are victimized by IPV are more susceptible to devastating consequences to their health and well-being. The relationship between IPV and negative health outcomes are nonetheless extended to all demographic groups (across race/ ethnicity, gender, heterosexual and same-sex couples), which is oftentimes called domestic violence. IPV and domestic violence oftentimes are used interchangeably, yet conversely, domestic violence is the act of physical, sexual, emotional abuse, or sexual coercion by an intimate partner.

Causes and Risk Factors of Intimate Partner Violence

There are contributing factors that may indirectly or directly place an induvial at an increased risk of an IPV experience. A combination of individual, relationship, community, and societal factors are listed below:

 Individual Factors           

• Low-self-esteem
• Young age
• Low academic achievement/ stress
• Low level of education
• Alcohol/ Substance abuse
• Personality disorders
• Exposure of violence between parents
• Witnessed or experienced violence (e.g., physical and sexual abuse) as a child

 Relationship Factors

• Cohabitating relationship
• Conflict or dissatisfaction in the relationship
• Having multiple partners
• Partner insecurities
• history of an abusive partner

Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence 

Health effects that have been frequently linked to IPV may include but are not limited to:

 “Physical, mental, sexual, and women’s reproductive health such as adolescent pregnancy, unintended pregnancy in general, miscarriage, stillbirth, and other intrauterine hemorrhages, nutritional deficiency, abdominal pain, and other gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, chronic pain, disability, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Victims of domestic violence are also at a higher risk for developing addictions to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs” (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2020).

 Community and Societal Factors

• Gender inequalities & social norms
• Low social and economic statuses
• Poverty
• Weak community sanctions against IPV

Resources and Services

There is currently an unlimited supply of services and resources for victims and survivors of IPV but please note that Student Victim Assistance here to offer support to Georgia State Students who may need our services. If you need to speak with someone, please contact Student Victim Assistance at 404-413-1965 or you may also contact the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-299-7233, National Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), and National Center for Victims of Crime 1-202-467-8700

References

 Intimate Partner Violence |Violence Prevention Injury Center CDC. (2020). Retrieved 28 May 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html

Domestic or intimate partner violence. (2020). Retrieved 28 May 2020, from https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/domestic-violence

 NCADV | National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2020). Retrieved 28 May 2020, from https://ncadv.org/resources

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate that Thanksgiving break is right around the corner!!  

Now back to business –  let’s address how thanksgiving plans may be altered, or for some, canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Gathering with family and/ or friends around the holidays may be the highlight of the year for so many students so I will not downplay the impact this will have on your mental well-being. Yet, I will share with you a few tips that may help you through these unprecedented times.

For me, home is not in Atlanta, so to spend Thanksgiving break with my family is not an option for me this year. With that said, I can respond with one or two options: (1) complain about what I cannot do or (2) find a positive in an unfortunate situation. To uphold more positive vibes, I will try to focus on what I can control rather than what I cannot control. To help with this, someone once told me, for every negative situation, counterbalance it with 5 positive aspects occurring in your life (told to me by a family member).

If this is challenging for you (as it is for me), check out Georgia State University’s Counseling Center’s workshop on Gratitude and Social Connection: Healing in Uncertain Times. This is an amazing opportunity for students to engage in an experimental workshop on the power of gratitude during times of uncertainty. This will be an hour-long workshop, filled with practical exercises and activities with a focus on thankfulness!!

This workshop will take place on Friday, November 20th at 3 pm. To sign up, follow the link: http://gsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dhthK9vVo6msF0h

BUT HURRY – THERE ARE ONLY 12 SLOTS LEFT!!!

While this topic is still fresh on everyone’s mind, let’s have a little chat about the power outage in the midst of a global pandemic. The effects of this power outage could range from not being able to charge your phone to not being able to live-stream your instructor or get schoolwork accomplished. For me, it was a little bit of both. As a result, I took a step back and used that time to engage in a self-care activity.

My go-to self-care activity is typically journaling but this time I wanted to broaden my horizon and check out #TakeCareOfYouGSU. The YoutTube video I viewed was the “Let’s Paint” Take Care Of Yourself Tuesday. This video was roughly 15 minutes long and for 15 minutes, I was able to take my mind off the stressors of school, work, and the idea of not having power or the internet. I guess you’re wondering how I did this with no power or internet…..Well, my phone was luckily charged (which is rare) so I was able to use my data, I lite a candle and enjoyed an imperfect moment with a perfect self-care activity. 

As the semester is closing out and you feel overwhelmed. Take a step back and check out #TakeCareOfYouGSU for a quick and easy self-care activity: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u2f8TCFwMFQ

I hope everyone is doing well! For today’s content, I would like to share with you the exciting things the Medical Examiner’s Office in DeKalb County is implementing. Recently, our office held an elder abuse project meeting with personnel from the Districts Attorneys Office to address elder abuse reporting pathways, facilitators, barriers, and outcomes. The Medical Examiner’s Office introduced the elder abuse meeting because we are interested in applying for an elder abuse grant for the fiscal year 2021. This grant will allow us the opportunity to develop and advance emerging practices to prevent and effectively respond to elder abuse cases. 

Presently, there is no centralized way of reporting elderly deaths so as a result they are being vastly underreported to authorities – medical examiner’s offices and coroner’s offices. This is stemmed from uncertainties in reported elderly deaths from long-term facilities and at-home deaths. Although there are on-staff rotating physicians at long-term facilities, it is not definite each patient is being cared for 24 hours of the day. Regarding in-home deaths, these elderly decedents are being cared for by a caretaker, typically a loved-one, but there is no way of knowing the level of competency of that caretaker. For this reason, the Medical Examiner’s Office would like to be informed of all elderly deaths so they can send trained investigators to the scene to identify potential foul play.

To eliminate the misreporting of elder abuse, the Medical Examiner’s office is in the preliminary stages of conducting research/ gathering data to cross-reference substantial neglect cases from 2013 to 2020 with death certificates. A potential issue we will encounter is properly identifying all elder abuse cases because of the misrepresentation of them on the death certificates. In other words, there will be a very small number of reported elder abuse cases since the majority of elderly people are presumed to have died from natural causes. Even if the decedent was neglected, the cause of death will remain natural processes that were hastened by neglect, but neglect is never mentioned on the death certificate. Therefore, collecting data will help map out reporting pathways and attempts to identify any trends indicating that mistreatment may have been a contributing factor.

Pretty cool right?….. I thought so too! 

To those of you who are interested in the facets of life, here’s a little update for you HAHA.

If you have not heard, I have accepted a full-time position as an administrative assistant at the DeKalb Medical Examiner’s Office….. Whoot Whoot! I LOVE the roles and responsibilities of the position; however, I am up to my earlobes with trying to juggle a work/school-life balance. With this, it is important for me to engage in self-care activities to help reduce stress and prevent burnout at my workplace and in the classroom. Although academic requirements should be a priority in your life, it is equally as important to prioritize your self-care to assist with relaxation. I have to admit, it has been difficult to carve out time to engage in self-care activities but when I do, I love to journal!! Below is a page from my journal that I created last week:

While some may misconstrue self-care is selfish, IT IS NOT! Incorporating self-care into your daily regimen simply means you’re being mindful of your own needs so that you can direct your attention to other responsibilities like school, relationships, or family matters. A famous saying that I always remember is:

 “You can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first”

Therefore, my goal for the month of October is to journal twice a week, in hopes to increase productivity for the month of November! Comment below on self-care activities that help you destress and unwind after a long day of school/ work… 

      ATTENTION ATTENTION

 In collaboration with the Counseling Center, Student Health Promotion has launched a new online resource for students: #Togetherall. #Togetherall is an online peer-to-peer support community for your mental health. It is a safe place for you to talk, share, and support others via a platform that is anonymous and moderated by professionals 24/7. Once you have joined, you will have a range of resources and services at your fingertips:

• Create a ‘Talkabout’ to interact with a supportive community where everyone has the comfortability to express their  thoughts and feelings 
• Connect with others and express yourself creatively by posting a ‘Brick”
• Enroll and take part in interactive group courses on a variety of topics to help you feel more in control of your mental health
• Keep track of thoughts and feelings in your very own journal
• Identify and work towards your goals by jotting down ideas in a ‘Goalsetter’ log
• AND have accessibility to a series of articles that are designed to help you understand more about some of the issues you may be facing 

If this sounds interesting to you, join today at www. togetherall.com

Also, Tune into Wellness Wednesday this for a special guest, ME 🙂 as I will be joining Camilla live on Instagram with hot topics you don’t want to miss!

HELLO EVERYONE!

Welcome back to all the returning students and first-year students, welcome to Georgia State! For those of you who do not already know me, my name is Crystal Lee and I am a Graduate Assistant with Student Health Promotion! I am back as a second-year MPH student concentrating in Health Management & Policy. What’s new in my life? I’m so glad you asked…….Over the summer, I interned at the  DeKalb Medical Examiner’s Office, and let me tell you, it was such an illuminating experience! Other than that, let me tell you about the exciting things happening with Student Health Promotion, Student Victim Assistance, and the Counseling Center.

 I know times look a little different now on campus, so let me fill you in on all of our virtual opportunities:

• Student Health Promotion has  launched a ‘Condom Request System’ which allows you to receive free condoms at your residence
• Walk with Student Health Promotion every Monday at 11:00 am on Instagram Live
• Join Student Health Promotion every Wednesday at 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm for the ‘Wellness Wednesday’s’ Instagram Live session
• Check out various topics with Student Victim Assistance ‘Virtual Coffee Chat’ via our Youtube channel
• Join the Counseling Center for the ‘Peaceful Place Meditation’ Monday morning at 10:00 am on Instagram live
• AND most importantly, stay tuned on Instagram and Twitter @BeWellGSU for upcoming events, challenges, and virtual opportunities 

I hope everyone stays safe and GOODLUCK this semester! 

Now that I’ve grabbed your attention with my dramatic title, this is not my last blog post ever because I will be coming back this summer! Whoop Whoop 🙂 I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Student Health Promotion and I am honored to be able to continue my time with such an amazing group of people! But before I get ahead of myself, I would like to share what I have learned through my time at SHP 🙂

1. You are the face of Student Health Promotion. SHP is maybe 85% student engagement so, with the opportunity to represent SHP, simple gestures go a long way. During tabling events (Mobile clinics, HIV/ STI testing on the main campus, etc.) majority of students are either nervous or hesitant to approach your table. So, finding ways to break the ice will initiate the chance to have an engaging conversation. The easiest way to do this is by having a smile on your face. That small affirmation can brighten a student’s day more than you know!

2. Make the best of every situation. There is always an opportunity for growth in everything you do at SHP. I was not particularly passionate about sexual health but stepping outside my comfort zone opened my eyes to the interest in program development and educating students. In the beginning, you couldn’t pay me the money to use proper verbiage for describing a male/females body part. But I have grown LOL. And now I have developed the skill to properly talk about sexual health and present a condom demonstration in front of my peers. Another great learning experience was the practice of meditation with our WONDERFUL liaison Linnie. The most memorable experience was participating in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. It was an amazing 8-week program that taught me new practices of mindfulness that stay with me forever!

3. No need to panic. Professional staff and your fellow Graduate Students got your back. In a time of tension because of academic requirements, family problems, or whatever you may be going through, SHP is supportive of your needs. There were times that I had to miss work due to a family emergency and professional staff – Tammy, Johnny, and Camilla were always accommodating and understanding of my situation. I appreciate each of them for all they have done for me while my time with SHP!!

4. Be non-reactive or non-judgmental. Hundreds of students call into the office that discuss very personal information with you. Or at tabling events, students come to you in confidence and confine in you, so it is important to not pass judgment. Of all the learning outcomes as a Graduate Assistant, this may be the most impactful for me. I’ve gained the experience to be an active listener and display self-awareness for students who require our services.

As I said, you will be hearing from me ALL summer and I couldn’t be more excited to continue this position with Blar-blur (Barbara) because who uses real names now? LOL See you soon!!

Hey Hey!! I hope everyone has adjusted to virtual learning and staying safe & healthy as we navigate through the COVID -19 pandemic. In this unprecedented time of social distancing from family and friends, it is essential to continue with self-care activities in the comfort of your home/ neighborhood. It is also important to find the motivation to stay on top of academic responsibilities in the midst of being quarantined. Therefore here are some self-care activities and motivation tips that have helped me:

Self – care activities:

• Watch a new documentary every day
• Spend at least an hour outside (at the nearest park) 
• DIY face & hair mask 
• Mini workouts with miscellaneous objects around the house
• Group Facetime with family & friends 

Motivation tips:

• Have a morning regimen (Coffee/ Tea)
• DO NOT stay in your pajamas – Get dressed 
• Dedicate the morning to homework/ responsibilities
• Take mini-breaks (30 minutes)
• Keep your work area clean 

I hope this is helpful and for more action with Student Health Promotion, stay tuned on our social media!! @bewellgsu