The WICHE Mental Health Program, in partnership with the University of Michigan School of Public Health, is entering year two of a groundbreaking study that’s testing whether a community mental health intervention and education program can reduce barriers that keep college students from seeking mental health services. The goal of the study, funded by a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, is to determine whether the Mental Health First Aid program – a five-step procedure for recognizing and assisting people who are experiencing mental health problems or crises – increases the use of mental health services on campuses. This is the first randomized, controlled study of the program and of a comprehensive mental health intervention on college campuses. Over two dozen campuses across the nation will be participating in year two, from state institutions like the University of Arizona and University of California, Santa Cruz, to smaller private schools such as the Rhode Island School of Design and Loyola University.

August 2010  | Share this on Twitter | Post this on Facebook