Breaking Under/Grad - Assessing and Addressing Stress, Anxiety, and Resiliency Among Undergraduate and Graduate Students via Motivational Interviewing and A Smart, Healthy Campus Intervention
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation was to assess mental health among students, as well as innovative interventions designed to provide tools to cope with the mental health challenges of stress and anxiety while building resiliency. Three distinct, yet related, studies were conducted. Study I: This academic-year-long pilot study explored senior students’ (‘mentors’; N= 30) experiences interacting with first-years to build resilience via physical activity (PA) and mentorship. Mentors’ psychosocial experiences were tracked via qualitative interviews and validated questionnaires at pre-, mid-, and immediate post-intervention. Inductive content analysis revealed the program’s positive influence on PA, resilience, and mental health; and some added stressors. One-way, repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated few statistically significant findings regarding participants’ levels of resilience, behavioural control, and positive affect. Study II: This mixed methods pilot study investigated graduate students’ (n = 11) experiences in an 8-month peer coaching program. Participants’ psychosocial experiences were assessed via individual semi-structured interviews and validated questionnaires (BRS, MHI, SF-36) at pre-, mid-, and immediate post-intervention. Inductive content analysis revealed peer coaching as having positively impacted participants’ ability to cope with stress and anxiety, and enhanced resilience. One-way, repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated no statistical significance for any of the questionnaires/surveys. Study III:Through the distribution of three campus-wide surveys/questionnaires (i.e. BRS, n= 598; MHI, n= 619; SF-36, n= 696),information was gathered about the current state of mental health and wellness, and resiliency among undergraduate (UGS) and graduate students(GS). Focus groups were conducted to enhance and put in context the quantitative information. Both UGS and GS indicated more services are needed to address mental health, with a need for more counsellors. PA positively affected mental health and resilience for both groups. The need for easier/increased access to PA was voiced.
The findings from these studies have demonstrated that while GS experience some different stressors than UGS, and that they would prefer to access mental health-related services in an environment separate from UGS, both groups: (a) struggle with stress and anxiety; (b) voiced the need for more counsellors; and (c) described PA and peer-coaching/mentorship as benefitting their mental health and resilience.