In February WICHE’s Mental Health Program presented the results of a study of its mental health first aid training initiative—which teaches college students to recognize and respond to potential mental health crises—at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Mental Health Conference in Atlanta. The training involved some 470 resident advisors (RAs) on 33 campuses nationwide in the 2010-2011 school year. For the study, “Mental Health First Aid: Outcomes Evaluation Strategies,” conducted by WICHE and the University of Michigan School of Public Health and sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 7,600 students participated in pre-test surveys in fall 2010 and over 5,300 participated in post-test surveys in spring 2011. The study found that RAs who were trained reported increased confidence in recognizing and responding to developing mental health problems and crises, had greater knowledge of mental illnesses, and had positive beliefs about treatment. Ninety-nine percent said they would recommend the training to others. For students who were not trained, there was no change in the use of mental health services, interactions with RAs regarding mental health, symptoms of mental illnesses, or use of campus counseling centers.

March 2012  | Share this on Twitter | Post this on Facebook