Wellness at the Root of Success

Mental health has emerged as a critical topic of discussion in higher education institutions nationwide. Despite the increasing allocation of resources to address the issue, the  trend of rising mental health challenges shows no signs of reversing and may even be worsening. Particularly alarming, the situation concerning graduate students and postdocs appears to be even more dire. As members of the Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) at Duke University our team was tasked with enhancing the campus environment for these individuals. In light of the mental health challenges, we aimed to improve their circumstances by making wellness information more accessible. Recognizing the complexity of this problem, we sought to gain a better understanding of the specific challenges that students and postdocs are experiencing before determining the most effective strategies to help.

To accomplish that, we approached the issue from two perspectives. First, we conducted interviews with staff working in units such as the Student Wellness Center, CAPS, and The Graduate School to understand their perspectives on the crux of the issue. Second, we distributed online surveys to graduate students and postdocs, asking detailed questions about their awareness of and satisfaction with existing mental health services, as well as the positive and negative factors impacting their overall well-being.

Through our interviews and surveys, we gained two key insights. First, we learned that wellness is a holistic concept with multiple dimensions. While students tend to have a grasp of the body and mind aspects of wellness, there seems to be a knowledge gap regarding other dimensions such as social wellness and intellectual wellness. Secondly, we found that despite the wide range of mental health resources available, many students and postdocs find it challenging to navigate and choose the most appropriate options. For example, some students are unsure whether to seek peer support first or directly consult with professionals at CAPS during difficult times, leading to confusion and discouragement in the use of resources.

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These two insights served as the foundation for our designs and solutions. We recognized that both insights pointed to a knowledge gap, and we believed that creating infographics and identifying effective ways to distribute them could help bridge this gap. However, before developing new solutions, we conducted extensive research to understand the current landscape and identify opportunities for improvement. Our research revealed that some solutions already existed to address these issues. For instance, Duke University had developed its own wellness framework called the “Wellness Tree,” which outlines different dimensions of wellness. However, we found that students and postdocs might struggle to understand the current graphics, especially in areas such as social and intellectual wellness, due to the lack of sufficient explanations. Additionally, the Duke Student Government recently created a 14-page guide that details the available mental health and wellness resources and explains each service. However, the lengthy guide is not easily accessible to people in need of immediate help and it falls short in providing specific resources for postdocs. We recognized that people are unlikely to read through a lengthy document when they are experiencing distress.

Building on our insights and considering how we could improve existing solutions, we developed a new solution: an infographic card. On one side of the card, we included the Wellness Tree, which highlights different dimensions of wellness. However, we expanded on this by suggesting specific actions that people can take to improve each dimension, aiming to make these concepts more tangible and actionable for people. On the flip side of the card, we presented the available mental health and wellness resources, grouped by types that correspond to the different dimensions of wellness. We also included first-person narratives that describe situations people might face, helping them identify the type of resource they need in each moment. Throughout the development process, we iterated our design by engaging with stakeholders and gathering feedback. These rich discussions helped us deliver a better design.

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In addition to designing our solution, we focused on how best to distribute it. Based on our conversations with stakeholders, two points stood out to us. First, we recognized that repeated exposure is crucial for people to learn new concepts. Second, we identified that it can be challenging to reach graduate students and postdocs, as most of them live off-campus. To address these challenges, we proposed a variety of approaches. We explored opportunities to reach graduate students and postdocs through events such as graduate student orientation. We also recognized the importance of bringing our design closer to where graduate students and postdocs spend their time, such as break rooms in their buildings. To ensure that our solution is accessible, we created different forms of the cards, including larger prints for pinning to boards or walls and pocket-size versions to hand out at in-person events. Our goal is to reach a larger audience and increase the impact of our solution.

We hope that this infographic card will be a valuable resource for graduate students and postdocs, providing them with the tools and insights they need to prioritize their mental health and wellness. By bridging the knowledge gap and making resources more accessible, we believe that we can help graduate students and postdocs thrive both academically and personally. We extend our gratitude to all those who supported the development of this resource and encourage its wide distribution around campus.

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Authors

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Yudong Sun

Ph.D. candidate, Biochemistry

Yudong Sun is a Ph.D. candidate in Biochemistry. He is interested in the interplay between dietary nutrients and cellular metabolism and how it might ultimately influence physiology. Yudong studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received a B.S. in Computer Sciences and Molecular Biology. A curious human being who is still not sure about his professional path, he is constantly learning and exploring.

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Serra Gullu

Recent A.M. graduate, Analytical Political Economy

Serra Gullu is an economic development manager at Better City. As a graduate student, she researched the historical emergence of the real estate market in Ottoman Istanbul, seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the socio-economic situations during that time. Believing in the power of small actions to create change, Serra was a member of Duke Interdisciplinary Social Innovators (DISI), which provides pro bono consulting services to social organizations in Durham and beyond. She is a Turkish native and received her B.A in Economics & International Studies with a minor in Finance at Sabanci University before coming to Duke. She graduated with her A.M. in Analytical Political Economy in 2023. In her free time, Serra enjoys cooking and reading.

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Brooke Wagner, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Population Health Sciences

Brooke Wagner, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Population Health Sciences in collaboration with the Duke Center for Childhood Obesity Research. Brooke completed her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota with a focus in physical activity and health promotion. Her current research focuses on the role of physical activity in childhood obesity treatment and prevention, and improving physical activity behaviors among this population. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors running, exploring new hiking trails with her dog, and checking out new local coffee shops.

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Yue Zhou

Ph.D. candidate, Chemistry

Yue Zhou is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry. Before joining Duke, she received her bachelor's degrees in both Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from Nankai University and Tianjin University in China. At Duke, she joined the Warren lab, where she uses ultrafast laser microscopy to identify historical pigments in cultural heritage objects and analyze their degradation mechanisms. During her Ph.D., she served as the co-president of Duke Chinese and Students and Scholars Association and a member of the Duke Student Alumni Board. In her free time, Yue enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, and exploring local restaurants.