2025 Mad Topics Panel Symposium on General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) & Depression in Education
Welcome to the 2025 “Mad Topics: General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) & Depression in Education”
professional panel symposium discussion resource page, where you can find all things
Mad Topics, anxiety and depression-related and can even rewatch the symposium recording
once available, or link to the live stream on April 5th! This year, we are adding
a pre-tabling event, where attendees can arrive 1.5 hours early and visit various
tables with representatives from mental health organizations and centers, resource
centers, the health department, and more.
What: 2025 Mad Topics: General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) & Depression in Education
When: Saturday, April 5th, 2025 | Doors open & pre-tabling event begins at 1:30PM-3:00PM CST | Panel symposium begins at 3:00PM CST
When: Stonecipher Hall (on-campus)
Who: This year, we are excited to welcome panelists Katie Mixon, B.S. (Graduate Student in Curriculum & Instruction, speaking on lived experience with general anxiety disorder); Todd Schultz, Ed.D (Liberty University faculty, speaking on lived experience with PKU & anxiety, as well as importance of diet + medication); Derrick Edwards, PhD (Assistant professor of counseling & psychology at Tn Tech, speaking on clinical perspectives of anxiety and depression); and Ben Craft, M.S., LPC-MHSP (Head of Education & Training and Licensed Professional Counselor at Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center, speaking on clinical perspectives and lived experiences with depression). Doug Hensley, M.S. (Senior lecturer in Counseling & Psychology) will serve as the moderator.
Sponsors: The 2025 Mad Topics Panel Symposium was granted funding by sponsor and partner Rural Reimagined through the 2025 Rural Reimagined Faculty Grant Fund.
» Learn more about the faculty grant fund of RR
Thank you to our additional sponsor, the College of Education & Human Sciences (CEHS).
Mad Topics: Terms to Know!
Anxiety: A group of chronic mental health conditions which cause fear, worry, and apprehension (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Anxiety can occur in a wide variety of settings for a wide variety of reasons. There are multiple types on anxiety, and while we may not discuss all kinds in the panel today, please feel free to ask any questions you may have!
Depression: A negative state which ranges from unhappiness to extreme sadness and despondency (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Depression can be an effect of many causes. While we may not be able to discuss all kinds of depression in the panel today, please feel free to ask any questions you may have!
More information for the upcoming symposium will be posted as available.
Remember – the first 50 students to RSVP for in-person attendance will receive a free Mad Topics t-shirt when they arrive!
For more information, please email Dr. Kinsey Simone at madtopics@tntech.edu.
Talking about mental health can sometimes be uncomfortable. We have mental health professionals at all Mad Topics events who are available to direct attendees to supportive resources. Virtual attendees and readers at any point can call the TN Tech Center for Counseling and Mental Wellness at 931-372-3331 or the Eagle Eye After Hours Crisis Hotline at 855-206-8997.
Center for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness
Did you know?
- Some courses offer students extra credit for attending Mad Topics!
- Educators can receive Professional Development Hours for attending Mad Topics!
- Licensed mental health professionals should determine whether this panel is suitable for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) hours for their division, as per Board of Psychology requirements. Mad Topics symposia aligns with requirements for a professional workshop (see 1180-01-.08, 2.C.2.) and/or academic preparation (see 1180-01-.08, 2.D.ii), and could also pertain to cultural diversity due to discussion of disability stigmas (see 1180-01.-08, 1.d.). It is up to each licensed professional to determine the merit of this event for their specific CE requirements.
To learn more about extra credit, PD, and/or CEU opportunities, email ksimone@tntech.edu. Information is also available at all Mad Topics events and on Mad Topics programs.