Logic Model and Program Evaluation

6

Mental Health in college students

Alexis Heard

Columbus State University

SP 22’ Program Design in Kinesiology

Dr. G. Palevo

February 17, 2022

Mental Health in College Students

Health status

Mental health issues encompass factors that affect cognitive, emotional, and behavioral well-being. Any deviation of mental health status from normal may lead to any of the following mental disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, back pain, and headaches. Mental health problems have statistically proven to be highly prevalent among college students. For example, in a survey involving Australian students, higher levels of psychological distress were noted. In another state-wise survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), 95% of college counseling centers directors reported alarming and growing concerns over growing numbers of mental health issues among college students (Auerbach et al., 2016). Anxiety is the topping concern with a prevalence rate of 41.6%, followed by depression at 36. 5%, other mental distresses concerns relationships and accounts for 35.8%. These prevalence’s can be attributed to a busy college schedule, financial issues, and lack of balance between having fun and studying.

College lends itself a host to many new things: independence, freedom, opportunity, and autonomy. The transition from high school to college also takes a hefty toll on contributing to deleterious health consequences to college students (Bruffaerts et al., 2018). For instance, lack of engagement can be a sign of depression, excessive worrying, increased dependence on a substance such as excessive drinking to numb emotions, or a changing relationship with food. In such cases, one no longer pays attention to eating patterns and tends to avoid socializing when there is food or exercise excessively. According to Lee et al. (2022). mental health problems can affect students' concentration, energy, mental ability, dependability, optimism and hinder performance. Depression, for example, is associated with low-grade point averages, truancy, and dropouts. In the end, roommates, peers, staff, family members may end up suffering consequences of poor relationships, poor work productivity, and profound grief from suicides.

Community description

The program's scope is on college students across the state and beyond. Global estimates of mental health problems suggest that one in four people globally have experienced or will experience mental health issues in their lifetime (Pedrelli et al., 2015). It is the third leading cause of mortalities among young people. Therefore, the program aims to assess the health needs of all reachable college students locally, state-wise, and even nationally.

Needs Assessment

Based on qualitative needs assessments done through focus groups, projects, scenarios, case study reports, introspection, visual texts, role-play simulation, and direct observations, major health needs of the students were identified. The majorly identified health needs include helping erase suicidal feelings and thoughts, eating disorders, overactivity and poor concentration, obsessive-compulsive disorder, low mood, and depression.

Naturally, a human's body and mind are not separate; it is therefore not surprising that mental health problems impact the body. For example, depression can cause fatigue, headaches, and digestive problems. The overall effects on the quality of life range from a feeling of distress, lack of control, choice, and autonomy, low confidence, diminished activity, and feeling of hopelessness and demoralization (Sazakli et al.,2021).

Major identified causes of mental health problems among college students include pressure to succeed in academics, uncertainty, financial distress, and increased social media use.

Non-specific combat strategies needed in the schools includes

a) Promotion of healthy eating habits

b) Encouraging physical activity

c) Promotion of healthy sleeping habits

d) Social Media use sensitization campaigns to minimize excessive social media use, inactivity, and visiting unauthorized sites.

Quantitative assessments focus on numbers or quantities and gather the information that yields results that can be quantified. A report by Karyotak et al. (2020) showed that one-third of students screened positive for at least a single in six mental health illnesses. With a prevalence of 27% exhibited over 12 months, the study demonstrated a possible lifetime prevalence of 28.7%. This calls for an array of measures, including the following.

a) Once a month mental health seminar in college institutions in California.

b) Employment of an adequate number of psychiatric mental health practitioners across institutions to balance student: psychiatrist ratio.

c) Install at least two support group meetings for students to guide each other towards shared goal recovery.

d) Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) - CAM includes treatment practices typically not associated with standard care.

e) Self-help plans- self-help plans are severely lacking among college studies in the United States. They may, however, have a hand in helping students implement strategies to promote wellness recovery and identify warning signs.

Community link

The United States government currently offers various programs and services to support people with mental health needs, including students. They include income support, disability services, community support, workforce participation programs, and housing.

In hospitals, the current most common way of treating mental health illnesses and challenges includes psychotherapy, also called talk therapy and counseling (Auerbach et al., 2016).

The proposed program will come in a batch of complementary programs to support existing programs in boosting mental health issues among college students. Salient things the program will include:

1) Enhancing counseling and psychotherapy through maximum stakeholder engagement and online campaigns

2) Technology use in mental health programming-technology is likely to address problems of minimal healthcare-seeking behavior among college students. Through technology-based diagnosis, and well-coordinated psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutics approaches, confidentiality will be enhanced, fewer financial expenses will be incurred, and accessibility will be enhanced since services will happen through simple web-search.

3) Community support and awareness campaigns will also help promote awareness, reduce discrimination and stigma, supporting social inclusion and recovery while preventing mental disorders.

References

Auerbach, R. P., Alonso, J., Axinn, W. G., Cuijpers, P., Ebert, D. D., Green, J. G., ... & Bruffaerts, R. (2016). Mental disorders among college students in the World Health Organization world mental health surveys. Psychological medicine, 46(14), 2955-2970.

Bruffaerts, R., Mortier, P., Kiekens, G., Auerbach, R. P., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., &

Kessler, R. C. (2018). Mental health problems in first-year college students: Prevalence and academic functioning. Journal of affective disorders, 225, 97-103

Lee, S., Lim, J., Lee, S., Heo, Y., & Jung, D. (2022). Group-tailored feedback on online mental health screening for university students: using cluster analysis. BMC Primary Care, 23(1), 1-14.

Pedrelli, P., Nyer, M., Yeung, A., Zulauf, C., & Wilens, T. (2015). College students: mental health problems and treatment considerations. Academic psychiatry, 39(5), 503-511.

Karyotaki, E., Cuijpers, P., Albor, Y., Alonso, J., Auerbach, R. P., Bantjes, J., & Kessler, R. C.

(2020). Sources of stress and their associations with mental disorders among college students: results of `the world health organization world mental health surveys international college student initiative. Frontiers in psychology, 1759.

Sazakli, E., Leotsinidis, M., Bakola, M., Kitsou, K. S., Katsifara, A., Konstantopoulou, A., & Jelastopulu, E. (2021). Prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression in students at a Greek university during COVID-19 lockdown. Journal of public health research, 10(3).