Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds: Alpha Phi’s Commitment to Mental Wellness

Alpha Phi’s holistic wellness programming aims to provide foundational knowledge about mental health. Through various programs, Alpha Phi collegians and alumnae are learning how to effectively address mental health, discuss emotions, and cultivate a culture of care in their chapters.

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, Alpha Phi proudly continues to be a leader in the fraternal mental health programming space.

College students in today’s era face a substantial amount of pressure, arguably more than any previous generation. In addition to perennial challenges like tuition and finances, academic rigor, and overall significant life transitions, collegians now have the added stressors of societal expectations, the pervasive influence of social media, and the ever-changing economy and postgraduate job market. All of these combined are causing an alarming rate of anxiety, depression, and other psychological challenges, specifically in collegiate women. However, fortunately this is NOT the case with sorority women.

In a groundbreaking study, funded by the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence Amplifying Sorority Campaign, entitled “The State of Sorority Women’s Mental Health,” it was confirmed that overall, sorority women have positive mental health and well-being.

Data analyzed from 33,825 women on 135 campuses, aged 18-24, who completed the 2022-2023 Healthy Minds survey. 12% — 4,059 respondents — identified as being a member of a sorority.

“Compared to their unaffiliated peers, sorority women are less afflicted by mental health challenges and feel less shame about mental health; in nearly every single measure, when compared to their peers, they have more positive mental health and well-being.

Sorority women reported being less depressed, less anxious, less likely to report thoughts of suicide, less likely to report feelings of loneliness, higher levels of flourishing^* and lower levels of psychological inflexibility^**.”

This study, authored by Dr. Amanda Blakewood Pascale using research conducted by The Healthy Minds Study at the University of Michigan, highlighted a range of factors influencing mental well-being, including academic performance, social engagement, institutional integration and access to resources. While Dr. Pascale’s findings do suggest that the prevalence of mental health issues among sorority women is much lower than their unaffiliated peers, there is of course still plenty of work to be done. Some key takeaways include:

• Sorority women’s positive self-perceptions can be a catalyst for themselves and others.
• The chapter facility can play an important role for mental health.
• Engagement can be the antidote to loneliness (and sorority women are proof).
• While sorority women have more positive mental health, some knowledge gaps exist for understanding and treatment – specifically that sorority women are less aware of resources available.

The final consideration is where Alpha Phi continues to make strides as a pioneer in mental health programming available to all our Chapters. Guided by our High Ideals and Alpha Phi’s strategic plan, Alpha Phi Fraternity has developed an impressive series of empowering programs to actively support the growth, education, health and well-being of its members, funded by Foundation grants.  Alpha Phi Fraternity utilizes a combination of proven industry experts and emerging companies to deliver cutting-edge programmatic experiences, made possible by the generosity of Alpha Phi Foundation donors.

One such program, Behind Happy Faces, was created specifically for members and advisors to learn how to identify and address mental health challenges in a collaborative way. Behind Happy Faces is a resource available online through LEARN Alpha Phi, allowing advisors and collegians access to this self-paced program at any time. During the 2024-2025 academic year, this powerful resource was accessed by more than 600 individuals.

New this year, Revitalize is an in-person discussion group led by a member of Alpha Phi’s expertly-trained League of Coaches. Members are encouraged to engage in thoughtful conversation regarding the challenges of collegiate life and maintaining a healthy life balance while learning practical tools to build resilience, mental fitness, well-being and emotional intelligence. In its first year, the Revitalize workshop was offered to more than two dozen chapters.

Beta Upsilon (Oregon State) was one of the first chapters to register interest in the Revitalize program and hosted coach Simi Patel (Eta Eta-Seton Hall) in April 2025. Chapter President Kylie Werth said she received a lot of positive feedback from members following the workshop:

“We were extremely grateful to have Simi visit our Chapter and lead us through what can be a very challenging topic to discuss in an effective and engaging way. Being located in the Pacific Northwest, a lot of our members find winter term to be especially challenging in terms of motivation and mood in general with all the cold and rain. There was a lot of openness from members when sharing personal stories and Simi made sure everyone felt comfortable and supported. I think the most valuable part of the discussion was when we all shared the different ways we like to relax or focus – whether its going to the gym, taking walks, journaling, or whatever – and she helped us realize and identify those activities we already enjoy as tools we can use in a new, more beneficial way.”

Alpha Phi Fraternity utilizes the League of Coaches, LEARN, and a variety of other platforms – even podcasts – to offer members of all ages these educational workshops and programs. Designed to be accessible for all, other wellness topics addressed include alcohol safety, sexual violence awareness, and hazing prevention, all contributing to the overall positive mental health and well-being of our members.

The evidence featured in the “State of Sorority Women’s Mental Health” report suggests that the structured engagement, strong social networks, and supportive community inherent in sorority life can serve as a powerful shield against the mental health challenges prevalent in the broader collegiate population. As the world continues to navigate the complexities of mental health, the positive experiences within sororities – exemplified by organizations like our beloved Alpha Phi that proactively address such challenges – offer valuable insights and an optimistic path forward to foster well-being among all college women.

Alpha Phi Foundation is a proud supporter of the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence.

* The Flourishing Scale is a brief 8-item summary measure of the respondent’s self-perceived success in important areas such as relationships, self-esteem, purpose and optimism. The scale provides a single psychological well-being score.

** Psychological inflexibility refers to the inability to accept, tolerate and navigate challenging thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is characterized by rigid and avoidance-based coping mechanisms that interfere with well-being and personal growth.

All statistics featured in this article were pulled directly from The State of Sorority Women’s Mental Health by Dr. Amanda Blakewood Pascale, funded through the Amplifying Sorority Campaign.