On Oct. 1, 2015, at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, an active shooter presented himself. On Jan. 8, 2011, Jared Lee Loughner opened fired on a crowd, killing six and injuring 19, including Arizona House Representative Gabby Giffords.

Some mass shootings are committed by people who are struggling with mental issues, such as depression, anxiety, and delusions.

“Loughner was in the beginning of experiencing a chronic and serious mental illness,” said Dayna Schertler, the Health Integration Specialist at WT. “He had attempted to seek care and had partially received it.”

Oftentimes, mental health is not perceived as something important in one’s overall health. On the contrary, mental health and physical health go hand in hand.

“Anxiety can lead to many physical issues,” said Nanna Fisher, a professional counselor for WT.  “It can lead to gastrointestinal issues, headaches, muscle fatigue, significant sweating, and prevent students from being able to focus on course work.  People with heart conditions or asthma can sometimes mistake those symptoms for anxiety symptoms and vice versa.”

Mental health issues also may cause changes in mood, desires, and isolation from peers. These issues may lead to different diets, varied sleeping patterns and exercising less.

“If you have significant depression symptoms, you lack motivation, you tend to lack energy and you lose interest,” said Becky Warren, also a professional counselor for WT. “Even if you liked exercising before, you’re not really going to do things you were once interested in.”

Mental health is a problem at universities as there are more than 1,000 suicides on college campuses each year. According to Mark Stibich, a healthy aging expert, suicide is the third-leading cause of death in people from ages 15-24, and white males that are under 21 are particularly at risk for suicide.  West Texas A&M University’s campus now has a Health Integration Specialist to promote the best health outcomes for students.

“Our purpose is to help the students develop practical knowledge and skills to promote and improve physical and emotional health,” said Schertler, “and to encourage improved responsiveness to a student who may be in crisis or at risk.”

WT’s Student Counseling Service is now offering a Wellness Program where exercise is used to improve mental health, such as depression or anxiety.

“Exercise has a huge factor on people’s moods,” said Schertler. “A lot of times if somebody wants to go off an anti-depressant medication, getting them to start exercising will make it much more probable to get off it and not need to get back on it.”

Research for the Wellness Program shows that exercising 3-5 days a week for at least 30 minutes is enough to curb the effects of mental health problems and improve overall quality of life.

“If you have mental health issues, you’re not going to get to enjoy life the way you want to, or do the things you enjoy,” said Warren. “If you’re not practicing self-care, you will feel more stressed and anxious. We are here to instill hope again and bring that joy of life back.”