Dr. Laurie Santos

Right now, nationally, more than one in four college students reports being too depressed to function most days.

Right now, nationally, more than one in four college students reports being too depressed to function most days.

Over 60% of college students say that they're overwhelmingly anxious.

Over 60% of college students say that they're overwhelmingly anxious.

More than one in 10 has seriously considered suicide in the last six months.

More than one in 10 has seriously considered suicide in the last six months.

It's a real national crisis.

It's a real national crisis.

And that was what I was seeing in my community, right?

And that was what I was seeing in my community, right?

I was this benevolent faculty person hanging out with these students and so many of them were struggling.

I was this benevolent faculty person hanging out with these students and so many of them were struggling.

And that felt particularly frustrating as a professor of psychology because our field has so many things that you can do to improve your life, to have better habits, to feel less stressed out.

And that felt particularly frustrating as a professor of psychology because our field has so many things that you can do to improve your life, to have better habits, to feel less stressed out.

And so I said, well, let me just develop a whole class where I teach students this practical advice that we get from my field.

And so I said, well, let me just develop a whole class where I teach students this practical advice that we get from my field.

I expected it to be popular, but I didn't know it was going to be so popular.

I expected it to be popular, but I didn't know it was going to be so popular.

We had to teach the class in a concert hall the first time I taught it because other than the football stadium was the only spot where we fit.

We had to teach the class in a concert hall the first time I taught it because other than the football stadium was the only spot where we fit.