Effects of a Brief, Solution-Focused, Digital Intervention on Social Wellness Among College Students: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Current trends among college students include compromised mental health and wellness which have been exacerbated due to COVID-19. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of a brief, digital intervention focused on social wellness among college students on wellness-related outcomes including perceived wellness, life satisfaction, and happiness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A longitudinal, explanatory mixed-methods design was utilized. Quantitative data were collected from a total of 133 participants using questionnaires at baseline and one-week post-intervention. RM-ANOVA and post-hoc pairwise comparisons were employed to assess quantitative data. Qualitative data collection was obtained via semi-structured interviews at six weeks post-intervention and evaluated using Applied Thematic Analysis. A sub-sample (n = 23) from the participant pool (N = 133) completed the interviews. RESULTS: Results indicated intervention effectiveness as participants experienced significant positive change in perceived wellness, the primary outcome variable. Significant relationships were detected between wellness outcomes and goal attainment (e.g. I am confident in my ability to complete my goals) items. Qualitative analysis revealed themes related to accessibility and convenience of the intervention, increased self-awareness, and increased intentionality of participants. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates the utility of a brief, digital intervention on wellness-related outcomes. Benefits were shown of a preventative, self-directed and solution-focused approach in enhancing wellness among college students. CONCLUSION: From a social work perspective, employing a salutogenic approach to support college students' wellbeing aligns with the field's core values. Specifically, this social wellness-focused intervention encourages self-determination, dignity and worth of the person, and emphasizes the importance of human relationships.

Disparities in Youth and Family Experiences of System-of-Care Principles by Level of Youth Need.

The extent to which mental health services for youths embody system-of-care (SOC) principles is an important quality indicator. This study tested whether youth and family experiences of SOC principles varied depending on youths' level of need after adjusting for sociodemographic and treatment factors. The relationship to caregiver-reported clinical outcomes was also examined. Using administrative data and cross-sectional surveys from a stratified random sample of 1124 caregivers of youths ages 5-20 within a statewide system, adjusted analyses indicated caregivers of youths with the most intensive needs were significantly less likely to report receiving care that embodied SOC principles, with deficits on six of nine items. Youths whose services embodied SOC principles experienced significantly greater improvement in caregiver-reported functioning even after adjusting for level of need. Results highlight disparities in SOC principles for youths with intensive needs and the need for policy and intervention development to improve care for this population.

Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (I-BMS) Practices for Schizophrenia: An Outcome Literature Review on Randomized Controlled Trials.

Prior reviews show that certain complementary and alternative practices are promising for patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study is to review the outcome literature on intervention studies using integrative body-mind-spirit (I-BMS) practices on schizophrenia. This is an outcome literature review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on I-BMS practices from 2004 to 2016. The review used a modified Delphi List to assess methodological rigor and the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse Scientific Rating Scale to evaluate the level of research support for each identified I-BMS practice. This review identified 13 RCTs of I-BMS practices, including mindfulness interventions (5), yoga (3), tai-chi (2), and relaxation (3). I-BMS practices were effective with medium to large effect sizes for alleviating symptoms, decreasing anxiety and stress, improving insight and mindfulness, subjective well-being and social/occupational functioning, as well as decreasing the frequency and duration of re-hospitalization. This review expands the knowledge base of treatment effectiveness pertaining to patients with schizophrenia.

A Qualitative Investigation of Music Use among Amateur and Semi-Professional Golfers.

Music use in golf receives minimal attention from both applied and empirical perspectives. Golfers, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners alike may benefit from understanding and utilizing music within their work. Since music use in golf has become an increasingly common practice, the purpose of the current study was to investigate current music use among golfers using a qualitative approach. Researchers aimed to identify potential psychological and physiological effects derived from music use during golf practice and pre-performance, given the limited empirical research in this area to date. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten amateur and semi-professional golfers (five male, five female, Mage = 22.9 years, SD = 5.04 years). Consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology was used to analyze the interview data. Six domains emerged from the CQR analysis regarding participants' self-reported music use in golf: tempo, attention, physiological regulation, psychological regulation, effects of music on performance perceptions, and context (to use or not to use). Given the capacity of carefully selected music to elicit profound affective, neurophysiological, and behavioral responses, there is clear potential for mental performance consultants to utilize music in working with golfers in training contexts. Implications, caveats, and future research recommendations are provided.

Solution-Focused Wellness: A Randomized Controlled Trial of College Students.

Heightened stress levels and compromised well-being are common among college students. Current trends on college campuses include an increase in the number of students experiencing mental health issues and an increase in students seeking help, illustrating a need for evidence-based brief interventions that improve student wellness. This research study used a randomized controlled study design to examine the effects of a short-term (seven-week), solution-focused wellness intervention on perceived stress and wellness of college students. Repeated measures analysis of variance results demonstrated that the effect of group membership across time was significant for both perceived wellness and stress (p < .01). Effect sizes using partial eta2 statistics were large for both outcome variables. Findings indicate that a brief solution-focused wellness intervention can significantly improve perceptions of wellness and reduce stress among college students and is more effective than treatment as usual. Intervention replicability allows for dissemination across varied academic groups and locations, and potential generalization across populations.

Walking talking therapy.

Given the links between mental health, obesity and exercise, could physical activity be incorporated into therapy sessions with young people?