Millersville University

10/10/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/10/2025 09:43

MU Team Shares Mental Health Outreach at Lancaster County Conference

Hosted by Mental Health America of Lancaster County, the Suicide Prevention Conference held Sept. 18 brought together professionals, advocates and community partners dedicated to addressing one of the most pressing public health issues today.

The event centered around the theme "The Power of One," on which Margaret Thorwart, director of the Elsie S. Shenk Center for Health Education and Promotion, comments, "It reinforced the message that one screening, one conversation or one connection can make a life-saving difference."

Representing Millersville University, Thorwart presented a talk titled "Mental Health Matters: Empowering Early Detection and Connection to Care at Millersville University" alongside Dr. Joseph Lynch, director of the Counseling Center, and Lauren Blevins, a nurse practitioner leading Health Services. Their session spotlighted Millersville's collective approach to suicide prevention and mental health outreach, drawing on data and practices that have been expanded through the University's Mental Health Matters initiative.

Thorwart explained that her interest in health promotion and prevention was shaped by her time as a student. "My own experiences in higher education and seeing the impact of mental health challenges firsthand led me to dedicate my work to creating supportive environments where people feel seen and cared for," she says. "Not all students have access, support and guidance through navigating mental health challenges, so it is important to provide those things to students who need it."

For Thorwart, the work impacts her personally. She says, "I gain a sense of purpose in knowing that even small steps, like starting a conversation or hosting a program, can change or save someone's life." Thorwart says the team that presented at the conference was selected based on their expertise and continuous support in collaboration across campus: "Dr. Lynch brings decades of experience in student mental health and clinical interventions. Lauren specializes in student wellness, preventive care and early detection. Together, their clinical and leadership expertise complement the prevention and outreach work I oversee, showing how collaboration across counseling, health and education strengthens suicide prevention efforts."

The team's presentation joined the work of Millersville's Mental Health Matters events with more comprehensive approaches to suicide prevention. Earlier this year, Millersville hosted a campus-wide Wellness Week that included screenings for anxiety and depression. These screenings revealed that 41% of students reported mental health struggles impacting their academic success. Data also showed that 12.6% of students screened positive for suicide risk, while 44.4% screened positive for anxiety. "These numbers highlight the importance of early detection and destigmatized outreach," Thorwart says. "Mental health can be a great challenge, but there is also a great opportunity. Suicide prevention is about saving lives, but it's also about fostering resilience and belonging so people know they don't have to struggle alone."

The conference was not just a one-day event but an opportunity to share information about Millersville's ongoing commitment to mental health. Thorwart says, "These efforts reflect an ongoing commitment to making Millersville a place where mental health is prioritized, where stigma is reduced, and where every individual feels supported."

Millersville University published this content on October 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 10, 2025 at 15:59 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]