By Aivery Shuck ('26)
This upcoming Tuesday, students and faculty are encouraged to join the Psi Chi club in Library 323 at 7:30 p.m. for their event, “ADHD Doesn’t Have to be Spooky.”
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and it is a disorder that may make it difficult to focus or control impulses. In 2023, it was estimated that 15.5 million (6.0%) of U.S. adults had a diagnosis of ADHD (CDC). More than half of the adults (55.9%) received their diagnosis during adulthood and approximately one third of adults with ADHD do not receive treatment (CDC).
October is ADHD awareness month, and this event hopes to bring awareness to an often misunderstood and stereotyped mental disorder.
Psi Chi has created a panel of professionals and students to share their knowledge on the disorder, as well as explain how it affects their lives, and how they adapt and thrive in academic settings.
The vice president of Psi Chi, Anna Lloyd (‘26), said, “The goal of the event is to encourage those with ADHD and educate their peers surrounding this experience.”
Psi Chi is an organization that expands across the nation. It is for psychology students who wish to promote awareness of mental health on college campuses and the student body.
Megan Sensenig, the president of Psi Chi, said, “The mission statement of Psi Chi is ‘recognizing and promoting excellence in the science and application of psychology.’ At Houghton, this looks like being a resource for psychology majors and minors and hosting events to improve and educate about mental health.”
This event is one of many that Psi Chi hopes to hold on campus. “We will host different events throughout the year related to psychology and our members are resources for anyone pursuing or considering a degree in psychology. We’re planning other events for the near future and we couldn’t be more excited!” expressed Secretary Clancey Cockle (‘26).
Treasurer Aidan Fish further explained that “people can expect authentic conversations about what it is like to live with ADHD. We will be diving into how it affects life as a college student.”
This event is a good way to introduce the campus to Psi Chi and to help educate the student body on mental health. Not only will there be engaging discussions and enlightening new information on ADHD, but there will also be fun Halloween candy and snacks! ★