Brand Guidelines
What Wellbeing Looks Like for Adolescents Today
As Lawrenceville reinforces its commitment to learning and improving, wellbeing is centered as the next phase of institutional growth. Adolescence is a period marked by profound physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes that establish the foundation for lifelong health, relationships, and personal achievements. A healthy sense of wellbeing can help students cultivate the ability to learn from challenges, identify new strengths, and activate skills that equip them to manage life’s ups and downs.
Wellbeing, mental health, and wellness are interconnected and each offer distinct perspectives on an individual’s holistic health.
WELLBEING
is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.
WELLNESS
is integrating the physical body and the mind to address how these two systems affect one another.
MENTAL HEALTH
refers to cognitive and emotional reserves to effectively cope with life’s challenges, work productively, and make sound decisions.
While all three emphasize a positive state of being, this may look different for each individual. A public health approach to wellbeing prioritizes establishing norms and behaviors to promote a healthy lifestyle, as well as both preventative and reactionary interventions.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization, (WHO) and National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) consistently report that anxiety and depression among adolescents are rising concerns. Anxiety is associated with concerns for the future while depression is focused on the past. There are several factors associated with adolescents’ experiences of anxiety and depression including:
Supporting Student Wellbeing
Anxiety and depression in adolescents are multifaceted and complex challenges that influence their social interactions, academic performance, and overall wellbeing. Recognizing and addressing these concerns early lay the foundation for resilience, support, and the development of effective coping strategies, helping to ensure a healthier transition into adulthood.
It is essential to understand that mental health does not mean the absence of sadness, frustration, or difficulties. By implementing opportunities for students to build and practice the skills associated with wellbeing in the face of both challenges and triumphs, we can encourage good habits. A holistic plan that includes students, faculty, staff, and families can contribute to a sense of belonging and act as a catalyst on the journey to well-being, including strong social relationships, emotional regulation, and goal-directed behaviors all framed around our lived experiences.
Campus Resources
We are here for you. In addition to the campus resources below, our Religious Life leaders, Heads of House, advisors, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs are available to help you navigate difficult times.
Employee Assistance Program
1 (800) 527-0035
Crisis Help
A mental health crisis is any situation in which a person's behavior puts them at risk for hurting themselves or someone else OR being unable to function and care for one’s self. A crisis requires immediate attention so please call 911.
The following external community touch points are also available 24/7 to provide help.
| Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741 |
| The Trevor Project (for people who identify as LGBTQIA+) |
Send a Text to 678-678 |
| The STEVE Fund (for people who identify as people of color) |
741741 |
| NJ Hope Line (suicide prevention) |
(855) 654-6735 |
| National Suicide Hotline | (800) 273-8255 |
| NJ Mental Health Cares | (866) 202-4357 TTY: (877) 294-4356 eMail: help@njmentalhealthcares.org |
| ReachNJ | (844) 732-2465 |
| IME Addictions Access Center | (844) 276-2777 |
| NJ Connect for Recovery | (855) 652-3737 |
| The Peer Recovery Warmline | (877) 292-5588 |
Resources Regarding...
Wellness Wheel
The Wellness Wheel provides an opportunity for community members to reflect on the seven dimensions of wellness and consider the areas in their lives that are going well. It can also help identify and articulate areas that need attention to improve overall wellbeing. The wheel reinforces a common understanding of what we are working toward as a community.
Wellbeing Lexicon
A foundational Wellbeing Lexicon supports our ability to have productive community conversations, and to be better equipped to communicate our needs to one another. By working off of a common vocabulary, we can more effectively identify how we are feeling and how to ask for support. These definitions are gleaned from across the wellbeing landscape, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources used by mental health clinicians, including mental health diagnostic guides.
AGE-APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS refer to people behaving as predicted by a timetable of development which is primarily based on socially agreed-age expectations and age norms.
ANXIETY (a mental health disorder diagnosed by a licensed clinician) is associated with concerns for the future and is a medical diagnosis, characterized by excessive apprehension about real or perceived threats that typically result in avoidance.
BELONGING is a complex nexus of feelings, experience, and practices that originates when we acknowledge the full humanity of each other. Belonging is anchored in the ability to be fully seen, fully accepted, and fully able to participate in a given community.
CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS are supportive, trustworthy, low in conflict, and interdependent.
DEPRESSION (a mental health disorder diagnosed by a licensed clinician) is focused on the past and is a medical diagnosis, characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities that normally are enjoyed, and an inability to carry out activities of daily living.
GRIEF is a natural response to the loss of a loved one. For most people, the symptoms of grief begin to decrease over time. However, for a small group of people, the feeling of intense grief persists, and the symptoms are severe enough to cause problems and stop them from continuing with their lives.
MENTAL HEALTH refers to cognitive and emotional reserves to effectively cope with life’s challenges, work productively, and make sound decisions.
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS is any situation in which a person's behavior puts them at risk for hurting themselves or someone else OR being unable to function and care for one's self. A crisis requires immediate attention.
MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER is characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS are ties to the community, family, and organizations.
STRESS is a natural, adaptive, built-in response that prepares us for action, both physically and mentally. The stress response is there to temporarily increase our energy and focus — so we can tackle whatever challenge is there in front of us. Learning to take the steps to manage stress can facilitate healthy wellbeing. Stress that becomes chronic has implications on health, concentration, and mental health.
SUPPORT acknowledges that you are part of a community of people who care about you, values you, and offers assistance when you need it.
TRAUMA is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, serious physical harm, or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives.
WELLNESS is integrating the physical body and the mind to address how these two systems affect one another.
WELLBEING is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.
WORRY is a form of thinking ahead which can be adaptive and help us plan effectively for challenges and obstacles. Excessive worry focused on unlikely or remote events are related to a mental health diagnosis.