The Suicide Prevention for College Student (SPCS) Gatekeepers Program.

Background: Linking college students with mental health services is critical, especially now, as many students report increased mental health concerns and suicidal ideation in the wake of COVID-19. The Suicide Prevention for College Student (SPCS) Gatekeepers Program provides student education and training to help link those in need with appropriate services. Aims: This study aimed to replicate and extend pilot study results by examining the effects of the training program across a larger, more diverse sample of students. Method: As part of three SAMHSA Mental Health and Training Grants, the program was implemented across three college campuses over three years. Results: At posttest, those who participated in the program demonstrated increased knowledge, suicide prevention self-efficacy, and decreased stigma towards suicide. A follow-up questionnaire revealed that students continued to demonstrate program gains 12 weeks after participating, but there was a slight decline in knowledge and self-efficacy between posttest and follow-up. Limitations: Attrition at follow-up should be addressed in future research, and reliability and validity of measures should be further assessed. Conclusion: This study provides support for the efficacy and generalizability of the SPCS Gatekeepers training program.

Mental and physical health among students at a private university that held in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have serious negative consequences on mental and physical health, which may disproportionally affect young adults. The aim of this study was to understand short-term impacts on a population of students at a college that held in-person classes during the pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: This study was conducted at a moderately-sized private university in the southeastern United States where approximately 75% of students were enrolled in undergraduate degree programs and 25% in graduate degree programs. METHODS: A survey was created to assess anxiety and depression symptoms, psychotherapeutic medication use, healthy living, and coping skills. Links to the electronic form were distributed to students via email in Spring 2020 and Fall 2020. Participation was completely voluntary and responses were collected anonymously. RESULTS: The rate of anxiety symptoms in the study cohort was higher than the national average (31%) and increased between Spring 2020 (39%) and Fall 2020 (50%). Rates of psychotherapeutic medication use also rose, with benzodiazepine use increasing from 6% to 11% and antidepressant use increasing from 16% to 20%. Compared to the national average, fewer students in the study cohort rated their overall health as "good" or better (72-76% vs. 82%). Physical exercise, nutrition, and alcohol use worsened between Spring and Fall 2020. Problem-focused engagement was associated with significantly fewer anxiety and depression symptoms. Demographic factors such as gender, race, and sexual orientation interacted with several outcomes studied. CONCLUSIONS: Students at a private university that held in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic reported high rates of anxiety that increased between Spring and Fall 2020. Self-reported physical health was below average in Spring 2020 but improved in Fall 2020. Appropriate identification and management of the effects of pandemic-related stressors is critical during this uncertain time.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2052074 .

The Suicide Prevention for College Student Gatekeepers Program.

Background: American college students are presenting with increasingly lower levels of mental health and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Close to 30% of college students report having seriously considered suicide in their lifetime. It is critical to train peer gatekeepers to recognize and react to mental health emergency scenarios on college campuses. Aims: The Suicide Prevention for College Student Gatekeepers training program was designed to provide college students with information about the warning signs of suicide, as well as how to intervene when indicated. The program incorporates research specific to college students and suicide risk, utilizes a college student co-leader alongside a licensed psychologist, and maximizes discussion and role-play to support student learning and engagement. Method: The program was piloted with 65 undergraduate students and the results of the program are discussed. Results: Students who participated in the program reported increased feelings of suicide prevention competence both immediately after the training and at a 12-week follow-up. Additionally, students demonstrated increased knowledge about suicide and decreased stigma. Finally, students indicated high levels of acceptability of the program. Limitations: The lack of diversity and small sample size within this pilot should be addressed in future studies. Conclusion: This pilot study offers promising results for an efficient, college-student focused suicide prevention gatekeeper training program.

Evaluating Tau-U With Oral Reading Fluency Data and the Impact of Measurement Error.

Recently, researchers have argued that using quantitative effect sizes in single-case design (SCD) research may facilitate the identification evidence-based practices. Indices to quantify nonoverlap are among the most common methods for quantifying treatment effects in SCD research. Tau-U represents a family of effect size indices that were developed to address criticisms of previously developed measures of nonoverlap. However, more research is necessary to determine the extent to which Tau-U successfully addresses proposed limitations of other nonoverlap methods. This study evaluated Tau-U effect sizes, derived from multiple-baseline designs, where researchers used curriculum-based measures of reading (CBM-R) to measure reading fluency. Specifically, we evaluated the distribution of the summary Tau-U statistic when applied to a large set of CBM-R data and assessed how the variability inherent in CBM-R data may influence the obtained Tau-U values. Findings suggest that the summary Tau-U statistic may be susceptible to ceiling effects. Moreover, the results provide initial evidence that error inherent in CBM-R scores may have a small but meaningful influence on the obtained effect sizes. Implications and recommendations for research and practice are discussed.

Single-case effect size calculation: comparing regression and non-parametric approaches across previously published reading intervention data sets.

Growing from demands for accountability and research-based practice in the field of education, there is recent focus on developing standards for the implementation and analysis of single-case designs. Effect size methods for single-case designs provide a useful way to discuss treatment magnitude in the context of individual intervention. Although a standard effect size methodology does not yet exist within single-case research, panel experts recently recommended pairing regression and non-parametric approaches when analyzing effect size data. This study compared two single-case effect size methods: the regression-based, Allison-MT method and the newer, non-parametric, Tau-U method. Using previously published research that measured the Words read Correct per Minute (WCPM) variable, these two methods were examined by comparing differences in overall effect size scores and rankings of intervention effect. Results indicated that the regression method produced significantly larger effect sizes than the non-parametric method, but the rankings of the effect size scores had a strong, positive relation. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Cerebellar mutism after posterior fossa tumor resection: case discussion and recommendations for psychoeducational intervention.

Cerebellar mutism (also known as posterior fossa syndrome) is a relatively common complication of posterior fossa surgery for primary brain tumors in children. Many children with cerebellar mutism experience long-term adverse neurological, cognitive, and psychological sequelae and require extensive interdisciplinary support. This study illustrates a typical case of cerebellar mutism in a child after resection of medulloblastoma, followed by a review of associated symptoms, clinical course, and modulating factors. Additionally, recommendations for providing educational support to children with cerebellar mutism are explored.