Support College Students Research Articles

UndocuCare: Strategies for mental health services that affirm undocumented college students’ psychological needs

AbstractThere are an estimated 427,000 undocumented college students enrolled in higher education. Undocumented college students encounter unique challenges associated with their precarious immigration status that impacts their psychological well‐being. In this article, we contextualize the mental health of undocumented college students and the role of college mental health services and professionals in supporting college students’ psychological well‐being. We end with recommendations and, in some cases, examples for campus mental health services, college counseling professionals, and counseling‐related preparation programs to develop policies and practices that affirm and support the mental health of undocumented college students.Practical Takeaways Undocumented college students face a higher education landscape that is riddled with discriminatory public policies and college environments that largely neglect their specific needs and fail to promote their success. Immigration policies shape the well‐being of immigrant students by way of immigration status. For instance, college students with precarious immigration status (lacking access to permanent legal protections) have been found to have lower psychosocial well‐being compared to groups with more secure or permanent statuses (i.e., naturalized citizens). College mental health services are paramount in developing strategies and efforts that affirm the specific psychological needs of undocumented college students. We provide recommendations for higher education institutions in three areas: campus mental health services, college counseling professionals (developing cultural competency for mental health services with undocumented students, engaging in structural changes to affirm undocumented students’ mental health, holding broader campus initiatives to advocate for immigrant rights), and counseling‐related preparation programs.

Completing College after Foster Care: A Retrospective Lens

Completing a college degree is a major accomplishment under the best of circumstances. The economic and societal value of a college degree has the potential to produce critical benefits for vulnerable populations. For youth who “age out” of foster care, existing data reveal an obvious discrepancy in actual outcomes in comparison to their peers without foster care experiences. Despite implementation of state and federal programs and funding to support college students with foster care experience, national statistics indicate that these students continue to complete college at significantly lower rates than their non-foster cohorts. This qualitative multi-case study consisted of nine participants representing graduates from five different public colleges in Oklahoma with unique individual experiences in “aging out” of the foster care system and completing a college degree. Four themes emerged as critical to participants’ ability to persist and complete college: accessing tangible and intangible support, belief that a degree would improve their quality of life, the need to improve lives of others and “give back,” and being proactive yet cautious when accessing support from others. Their lived experiences and shared commonalities of what helped them to persist and complete college provide valuable insight for professionals in the social service and educational arenas.

Time in nature is associated with higher levels of positive mood: Evidence from the 2023 NatureDose™ student survey

Growing evidence shows that exposure to nature can improve mood. However, this evidence is mostly based on short-term or subjectively reported exposures. Machine learning and GPS mobile device tracking offer fine-grained assessments of minute-by-minute nature exposure over long periods. Few studies on nature exposure and mood have leveraged these technologies. We conducted one of the first longer-term investigations of daily nature exposure and mood with a mobile app as part of the NatureDose™ Student Study (NDSS). The NatureDose™ app uses GPS and a phone's sensors to evaluate whether a person is inside or outside and checks levels of nature surrounding the person with the NatureScore™ measure. This measure is based on more than 30 remotely sensed datasets, geo-located health records, and machine learning models. College students' nature exposure (N = 154 initial recruitment) was monitored for eight weeks (March 7 to May 1, 2022). Their mood states were calculated weekly using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Both exposure and outcome measures were continuous values. After three weeks, randomly selected groups of students were asked to either maintain or increase their nature exposures. However, students asked to increase their nature exposures maintained them. Therefore, evaluating cause-and-effect relationships through an experimental design was not possible. Instead, we evaluated observational associations between average nature exposure and mood levels across the study period using mixed-effect linear regression models adjusting for gender and allergies. Among the 97 participants with available data, we observed a positive association between nature exposure and positive mood (β = 0.10 [0.04–0.17], p = .003) but not negative mood (β = 0.01 [-0.07-0.09], p = .76). These findings were supported by sensitivity analyses with ANOVA models between tertiles on average NatureDose™ levels. We also found that the average nature exposure was 71 min per day, most of which (66%) was earned within 10 km of the center of the university campus. The study supports the utility of using NatureDose™ as an app-based tracking tool for objective nature exposure measurement. The study also reinforces previous findings on the associations between nature exposure and positive mood states. Greening university campuses and surrounding locations where college students live and spend leisure time could support college students' mental health.

Does Yes Mean Yes? Differences in US college students’ understanding of sexual consent

ABSTRACT Sexual assault is a pervasive problem that has devastating consequences for college students. California’s legislation stipulates that public colleges and universities must define sexual misconduct and sexual consent as well as provide ongoing sexual assault prevention education on campus. Despite these efforts, little is known about how well students understand consent or whether their knowledge differs by gender identity and sexual orientation. To address this gap, we collected data from 291 students attending a public university in Northern California and found that most (presumably well-informed) students had only cursory understandings of consent. We argue that colleges and universities need to do more to provide gender and sexual-orientation informed, creative, interactive and context-based approaches to consent education. Additionally, consent education should be tailored to the unique needs of specific subgroups, including cisgender heterosexual men and asexual students who had the lowest level of consent understanding in this study. Such an approach is needed to support college students to enjoy mutually respectful, fulfilling, and fun sexual and romantic relationships.

Design of Computer-Aided Assessment and Recognition Platform for College Students' Innovative Training Plan with Data Matrix Mining

In this paper, an improved association rule algorithm based on vector product is used. This algorithm only needs to scan the transaction database once and does not generate a large number of frequent item candidate sets. The algorithm first maps the set of data transactions into a matrix of vectors, each column vector representing an attribute. Matrix factorization algorithms usually decompose the original data matrix into two or more low-dimensional matrices. This paper analyzes the common problems existing in society, colleges, and families in labor education, and innovatively proposes a four-dimensional comprehensive evaluation index system for labor education in colleges and universities, including “subject-dominated colleges—family education support—social environment support—college students’ individual characteristics”.

Internet Addiction, Psychosocial Variables and Perceived Social Support in University Students

Internet Addiction, Psychosocial Variables and Perceived Social Support in University Students

Connecting the "Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka" and Village Law Policies: Possible Contribution of College Students in Indonesia's Coastal Rural Development

Indonesian college students (mahasiswa) have a long tradition of participating in Indonesia’s rural development. Initiated in early 1971 by three national universities, the Kuliah Kerja Nyata program has served rural development by sending mass college students to participate in rural community service agendas. The ministry of education’s recent implementation of ”Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka” policies has expanded students’ opportunities to experience the learning process outside of universities. On the other hand, contemporary rural policies, through the implementation of Village Law 2014, have established village autonomy, thus creating a new space for various actors to participate and collaborate with the village government to conduct development programs. The paper argues that both policies have simultaneously emerged to connect each agenda, which could establish cooperation related to rural development. Here we intend to track and identify what and how students can participate in the rural development agenda by analyzing two different policies specifically in the east coast community of Lampung Province. It is expected that the policy analysis result could decipher various corridors and regulations that could support college students’ involvement in developing rural Indonesia.
 Keywords: rural development, higher education, village autonomy

Derailment and depression in college: Tests of 3-year predictive capacity and moderation by self-reflection, brooding, perfectionism, and cognitive flexibility.

While rich with opportunities for self-exploration, the transition to and through college is stressful, often associated with the onset or exacerbation of mental illness. Attending to these characteristics, this preregistered study asked whether derailment-or difficulties reconciling perceived identity change-in freshman year predicts senior depressive symptoms, and how individual risks for depression relate to this association. Derailment and depressive symptoms evidenced significant 3-year stability, and these constructs had positive cross-sectional associations in both freshman and senior year. Freshman derailment failed to predict senior depressive symptoms for the average student, but individual differences in self-reflection moderated the association: freshman derailment positively predicted senior depression among those lowest in self-reflection. Together, this study suggests derailment and depressive symptoms are consistently related at critical points of transition, and some individual differences in cognition may help predict their long-term association. While useful for understanding nuances between derailment and depression, these findings also inform ways of attending to and supporting college students through periods of transition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

비대면 시대 대학생의 자기조절학습과 학습동기에 관한 현상학적 연구

This study aimed to understand the aspects of self-regulated learning and learning motivation of college students based on the experience of college students living in the non-face-to-face era after the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth interviews were conducted with 9 college students using a phenomenological method to discover the meaning and essence of experience. As a result, 5 upper themes and 10 sub-themes were derived. The parent topic is as follows. 'Responsibility of discipline chosen by oneself', 'tension of others' gaze', 'advantage of being together', 'trust in effectiveness', 'advantage of online learning'. This was interpreted based on Self-Determination Thoery and Self-Determination Theory. As a result, Camstudy corresponds to behavioral control among self-regulated learning, and the initial motivation for using it shows various levels of self-determination. However, as the experience is repeated, the It was found that autonomy tended to increase more. This study is meaningful in that it provided basic data necessary for planning various contents and establishing policies to support college students' self-regulated learning.

Structural Pathways Between Social Support and Mental Health Among STEM Students: Implications for College Student Psychotherapy

ABSTRACT An abundance of academic resources exists for supporting college students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. However, the dearth of research on supporting STEM students’ mental health is concerning, as STEM students face unique risks for mental health distress and utilize mental health services at lower rates than their counterparts. To begin addressing this gap in the literature, we found statistically significant structural links from STEM students’ perceived social support from friends and family to increases in their mental health. Results also revealed that male STEM students self-reported higher levels of mental health than female students. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for practice, including how college counselors and psychotherapists can use social support as one method for supporting STEM students’ mental health.

College Students’ Attitude towards Waste Separation and Recovery on Campus

As large communities, the efficiency and effectiveness of waste management on university campuses are of concern. This study aims to verify the variable relationship, influence path, and regulating factors of college students’ attitudes and behavior toward waste separation. A questionnaire survey was conducted at Henan Institute of Science and Technology, China, with 1300 respondents, among which 1213 questionnaires were valid. The SPSS software v23.0 was used to carry out the statistical analysis of the collected data by applying multiple analyses. The results showed that (i) females outperform males across attitudes and internal and external contextual factors, (ii) freshmen showed more positive waste separation behaviors, while upper-year students’ behaviors were more susceptible to contextual factors, (iii) college students’ attitudes, especially the knowledge factor, have a significant positive influence on behaviors, and (iv) the external contextual factors, as moderating variables, have a significant difference in the impact amplitude at different levels when attitudes affect behaviors. Our findings supplement the limited information available on the potential implications of applying the ABC model in exploring the factors influencing waste separation behaviors among college students. The provided insights can support college students, university administrators, policymakers, and government departments in more effectively optimizing, designing, and managing waste systems on campuses.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on college students with marginalized identities.

This study sought to examine whether college students with marginalized identities have been disparately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic with regard to perceived stress, social isolation, and pandemic-related concern, and whether this relationship was moderated by self-reported experiences of prejudice and/or discrimination. Nine hundred eighty three college students from 38 of the United States completed an online survey. Results showed that college students who were born after 1997 (i.e., Generation Z), sexual and gender minorities (SGM), and/or black, indigenous and/or people of color (BIPoC) reported more experiences of prejudice and discrimination than their peers as well as higher levels of perceived stress, social isolation, and pandemic-related concern. Furthermore, BIPoC students who also experienced prejudice and/or discrimination reported higher levels of pandemic-related concern than White students. Implications of these findings are discussed, including the need to support college students with marginalized identities as they cope with the short-term and long-term psychosocial impact of the pandemic.

NDEO WorksNDEO Works to Support College Students and Young Professional Members

NDEO WorksNDEO Works to Support College Students and Young Professional Members

Students enrolled in a college autism support program: comparisons with non-enrollees and use of program-sponsored mentoring

ABSTRACT Many universities offer autism support programs (ASPs) to support college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Initial studies support the promise of ASPs, but little research has explored which students do and do not enroll, or whether enrollees engage in program-sponsored mentoring. We explored these questions using an online survey and an ex post facto study design. Participants were students (N = 104) at a public university who identified with the university’s center for disability services as having a diagnosis of ASD. We compared students who did and did not enroll in the university’s ASP on a) demographic characteristics, b) pre-college academic achievement, and c) self-rated functioning. Enrollees rated the quality and frequency of interactions with program-sponsored mentors. Compared to ASP non-enrollees, enrollees were more often a) men, b) in their first or second year of college, with c) higher self-reported functioning. Enrollees also reported frequent, high-quality interactions with mentors.

GIVING AND GETTING ACROSS THE GENERATIONS: NEW INSIGHTS INTO INTERGENERATIONAL TIES

Abstract Population aging raises debates about who will care and provide for older adults, while shifting economic and family patterns suggest that young adults may require ongoing support from their (grand)parents. These five papers use diverse methods and data to shed new light on upward and downward intergenerational exchanges. Fingerman and colleagues use data from a small racially diverse sample of young adults (ages 18 to 29) providing care to grandparents. They document psychological benefits yet potentially harmful life course disruptions (e.g., education). Wiemers and co-authors use the Health and Retirement Study Core and COVID-19 Module to document how adult children’s transfers of time, money, and coresidence changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Minoritized and lower SES older adults were less likely to receive help from family members, due to children’s constraints. Whitworth documents disparities in the types of support college students receive from midlife parents, using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition to Adulthood Supplement. Higher SES parents tend to provide financial support, whereas lower SES parents provide coresidence. Silverstein et al. use multigenerational data from Longitudinal Study of Generations. They find religiosity of parents during the offspring’s adolescence affects their cognitive and behavioral religiosity in later life. Avni uses cross-national attitudinal data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and finds that Americans believe family should be responsible elder care, whereas Israelis and Germans believe the government should provide care. The discussant highlights implications of the study results for research and policies regarding intergenerational relations.

Constructing a critical thinking evaluation framework for college students majoring in the humanities.

Education for sustainable development (ESD) has focused on the promotion of sustainable thinking skills, capacities, or abilities for learners of different educational stages. Critical thinking (CT) plays an important role in the lifelong development of college students, which is also one of the key competencies in ESD. The development of a valuable framework for assessing college students' CT is important for understanding their level of CT. Therefore, this study aimed to construct a reliable self-evaluation CT framework for college students majoring in the humanities. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Item analysis were conducted to explore the reliability and validity of the CT evaluation framework. Six hundred and forty-two college students majoring in the humanities were collected. The sample was randomly divided into two subsamples (n1 = 321, n2 = 321). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale was 0.909, and the values of the Cronbach's alpha coefficients for individual factors of the scale ranged from 0.724 to 0.878. Then CFA was conducted within the scope of the validity study of the scale. In this way, the structure of the 7-factor scale was confirmed. Results indicated that the constructed evaluation framework performed consistently with the collected data. CFA also confirmed a good model fitting of the relevant 22 factors of the college students' CT framework (χ2/df = 3.110, RMSEA = 0.056, GFI = 0.927, AGFI = 0.902, NFI = 0.923, and CFI = 0.946). These findings revealed that the CT abilities self-evaluation scale was a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the CT abilities of college students in the humanities. Therefore, the college students' CT self-evaluation framework included three dimensions: discipline cognition (DC), CT disposition, and CT skills. Among them, CT disposition consisted of motivation (MO), attention (AT), and open-mindedness (OM), while CT skills included clarification skills (CS), organization skills (OS), and reflection (RE). Therefore, this framework can be an effective instrument to support college students' CT measurement. Consequently, some suggestions are also put forward regarding how to apply the instrument in future studies.

From Role-Play to Real Life: Using Gatekeeper Skills in Real-World Situations

ABSTRACT While gatekeeper trainings have demonstrated their effectiveness in appraisals of preparedness, efficacy, and intention to intervene, evidence has been lacking regarding gatekeeper behaviors in real life. The I CARE training aims to increase intervention in real-world situations involving suicidality through informational and experiential learning, enhanced by emotional support and guidance from counseling center facilitators. In mixed-method follow-up assessments, respondents reported utilizing specific skills they learned during the training, noting their ability to listen, ask directly about suicidality, connect others with services, and draw on a variety of supportive resources. Of those who encountered a potentially suicidal student, two-thirds asked the student if they were thinking of hurting or killing themselves; others reported taking preventive actions. Perceived support and gatekeeper outcomes were correlated. The findings affirm the effectiveness of communal efforts to support college students’ mental health and suggest ways to enhance effective intervention in actual situations with students in distress.

Adaptation of the PEERS for Young Adults Social Skills Curriculum for College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience a variety of unique challenges that may be compounded for individuals pursuing postsecondary education. Particular difficulties identified for college students with ASD include variability in social skills, social isolation, and reduced access to appropriate support and services. Research on effective interventions supporting college students with ASD is considerably lacking. This pilot study sought to address this area of need by modifying the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) for Young Adults, a social skills training program for young adults with autism, for use on a college campus. Following the intervention, participants showed improvements in areas of social functioning that are particularly important for college students with ASD, including overall social functioning, social awareness, social motivation, social cognition, and knowledge of social skills. This study is an important step toward the development of effective interventions that address social competence specifically for young adults with autism in postsecondary educational environments.

Mental Health, Support System, and Perceived Usefulness of Support in University Students in Hong Kong Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Survey.

Background: This study explored the association of students’ mental health with their support system, identified the preferred ways and sources of support, investigated the perceived usefulness of available university support, and recommended actionable strategies to enhance students’ mental health. Method: An online questionnaire survey and semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted in 2021. Results: Among 1121 university students, 39.4% reported anxiety symptoms, which were less common in Chinese students and those pursuing medical and health programmes. Overall, 32.6% reported depression symptoms, which were more common in undergraduates. Both anxiety and depression symptoms were less common in students with higher resilience and support system and more common in students with family distress. Students with higher resilience had a better support system and less family distress. Perceived support from universities was lower than from peers and families. Peer support and phone contacts were the most preferred sources and ways of support. The most useful available university support was updated university guidelines, and the least useful was the emotional hotline service from universities The qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results. Conclusion: We suggested that a holistic care approach and more proactive student-oriented university support would help students face adversity and enhance mental health.

The Perceived Impact of Ashwagandha on Stress, Sleep Quality, Energy, and Mental Clarity for College Students: Qualitative Analysis of a Double-Blind Randomized Control Trial.

Stress, anxiety, and depression, along with feeling overwhelmed and exhausted have been widely reported by college students as factors that negatively impact their academic performance, and overall well-being. Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb that has been used historically to support healthy responses to stressors, but has recently gained popularity in the United States for its ability to support well-being for populations who experience chronic stress. To our knowledge, there have not been any human trials evaluating the efficacy of ashwagandha on stress in the United States. No studies to date have used qualitative research methods to consider the experiential impact of ashwagandha supplementation. Our purpose was to explore the lived experiences of college students participating in a double-blind randomized control trial evaluating the impact of ashwagandha as an intervention to support college students' well-being. Participants were college students (N = 60) age 18-50 years, who were randomized to either intervention or placebo group to take one capsule twice a day for 30 days. Intervention group participants took 700 mg of full spectrum extract of ashwagandha root per day, whereas those in the placebo group took glycerol capsules. Qualitative data included daily affect check-ins and focus groups. Data were analyzed using Dedoose qualitative coding software and thematic analysis. Four themes resulted regarding energy levels, mental clarity, sleep dynamics, and stress. Our findings demonstrated that ashwagandha increased college students' perceived well-being through supporting sustained energy, heightened mental clarity, and enhanced sleep quality, through a moderate dose of ashwagandha for the course of 30 days. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT05430685.