Name
Poster 02 - Awareness, Screening, Support, Intervention, and Skills Training for Students (ASSISTS): A University Training Program for Mental Health Challenges and Crisis on Campus
Date & Time
Friday, October 25, 2024, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location Name
Lone Star Ballroom Prefunction Area
Description

University student mental health has become a growing concern since the COVID-19 pandemic with depression and anxiety increasing threefold(1) and suicidal ideation reported up to 20%(2) among students. Most individuals do not seek support due to multiple barriers including mental health stigma, low perceived need, financial burdens, and cultural concerns.(3) This presentation will describe and provide initial outcomes of an innovative combination of evidence-based, interprofessional trainings to address emerging and crisis mental health needs on college campuses. The ASSISTS (Awareness, Screening, Support, Intervention, and Skills Training for Students) program is anchored in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) with adapted Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral (SBIRT) to treatment and Crisis Intervention Training (CRIT). Through this culturally-informed combination of trainings, students, faculty, and staff are better equipped to provide immediate support and facilitate referrals to integrated care and related services, as appropriate.

Speakers
Michael Brubaker, Professor and Associate Director, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Michael Brubaker
Co-Authors
Shauna Acquavita, PhD, Sarah Manchak, PhD, Amanda Lynch Oney, Rachel Smith, Carmen Culotta
Content Level
Intermediate
Session Type
Poster
Objective 1
Identify unmet substance use disorder and other mental health needs on university campuses.
Objective 2
Describe three complementary evidence-based prevention, early intervention, and crisis response training programs (MHFA, SBIRT, CRIT) to address emerging campus mental health concerns.
Objective 3
Explore how MHFA, SBIRT, and CRIT may be implemented in their campus settings.
Content Reference 1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anxiety and depression: Household pulse survey. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htm Web site. Updated 2020.
Content Reference 2
Wang X, Hegde S, Son C, Keller B, Smith A, Sasangohar F. Investigating mental health of US college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(9):e22817.
Content Reference 3
Horwitz AG, McGuire T, Busby DR, Eisenberg D, Zheng K, Pistorello J, Albucher R, Coryell W, King CA. Sociodemographic differences in barriers to mental health care among college students at elevated suicide risk. J Affective Disorders. 2020 Jun 15;271:123-30.
Content Reference 4
Liang, MD M, Chen, MD Q, Guo, MD J, Mei, PhD Z, Wang, MD J, Zhang, MD Y, He, MD L, Li, PhD Y. Mental health first aid improves mental health literacy among college students: A meta-analysis. J American College Health. 2023 May 4;71(4):1196-205.
Content Reference 5
Farmer AY, Powell KG, Treitler PC, Peterson NA, Borys S. A case study of SBIRT on a college campus: Challenges, adaptations, and improved outcomes. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. 2019;19(1-2):158-176.