The ongoing youth mental health crisis and shortage of campus mental health clinicians have prompted investment in developing a peer support workforce in universities. The current study seeks to better understand the needs of this vulnerable, front-line workforce when they must both support their peers and care for themselves in times of crisis. The current study is an exploratory longitudinal investigation into the functioning of peer support workers at The University of Virginia before and after a shooting killed three students on campus in November of 2022. Peer support workers (N=42) and a comparison group of students (N=104) completed survey measures of mental health, connection, and other functioning, as well as open-ended reflections, in September and December 2022 (the shooting occurred November 2022). No significant changes in mental health were identified, and peer support workers' open-ended reflections did not contain any direct mention of the shooting or experiences supporting peers after the shooting. One relevant theme arose, reflecting on disruptions to the typical meeting schedule interrupting group progress. Results are interpreted as reflective of student resilience and the importance of prioritizing collective healing following violence on campus.
Abstract: This basic interpretive qualitative study explores the multiple levels of context in which Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) Master’s programs exist and how those levels of context influence curriculum development and teaching. Utilizing interviews with 44 HESA faculty members across the United States and Canada, findings illustrate how concrete curricular choices are embedded in and shaped by relationships between institutional, profession, and policy contexts. These levels of context exist within even broader sociocultural and temporal contexts. These findings have implications for how HESA faculty members navigate, the often bureaucratic nature of, curriculum development processes as they train student affairs practitioners for the professional problems of the future.
Abstract: College students experience healthcare insecurities, with underinsurance and limited care options highly prevalent. The current study measured the prevalence of delaying care, the relationship between delaying care and mental health outcomes, and the role of using university health services (UHSs) in a sample of n = 498 college students. Participants reported whether they delayed healthcare due to cost or insurance and their use of UHSs. Mental health outcomes included screening positive for depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation. Overall, 36.9% of participants delayed healthcare in the past 12 months, and 38.8% reported using UHSs. Delaying care was associated with higher odds of screening positive for depression (ORadjusted[95%CI] = 2.79 [1.81,4.31]), anxiety (ORadjusted [95%CI] = 2.58 [1.68,3.98]), and suicide ideation (ORadjusted [95%CI] = 4.14 [2.12,8.11]), although there was no significant relationship with using UHSs. Universities should consider improving logistics, access, and service quality of UHSs or improved access to off-campus services.
Abstract: Student mental health has declined in recent years, particularly among minoritized and first-generation students, yet research on their help-seeking behaviors is limited. This study aims to address these gaps by examining help-seeking attitudes, styles, and sources in college students, with a focus on minoritized groups. A total of 206 self-identified Black, Latine, and White students (72.5% female), aged 18 to 24 (M = 20.07, SD = 1.49), from a large university in Texas, U.S. participated in the study. Data were collected through online surveys assessing help-seeking behaviors. The results revealed that first-generation students exhibited significantly higher avoidant help-seeking styles, with no significant differences between ethnically minoritized and general student populations in their help-seeking styles. This study highlights the need for continued exploration in the role that college settings, ethnicity, and first-generation status may or may not play in mental health help-seeking behaviors.
Abstract: Previous research on preparation for the VPSA role has emphasized career progression rather than participation in professional development activities. This study aimed to explore the perceived effectiveness of 11 different professional development activities across 8 of the NASPA/ACPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators in preparing them for the VPSA role. VPSAs gave high effectiveness ratings for discussions with colleagues and mentoring as professional development activities. Relationships were also crucial in professional development choices, with recommendations from colleagues and mentors being common ways to find out about and choose professional development activities. The findings offer insights for emerging student affairs leaders, institutions, and professional associations seeking to enhance preparation for future VPSAs.
