ERIC Number: EJ1298213
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jul
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0091-5521
EISSN: N/A
A Mental Health Literacy Approach to Supporting First-Generation Community College Student Mental Health: The REDFLAGS Model
Kalkbrenner, Michael T.; Flinn, Ryan E.; Sullivan, Danielle K.; Esquivel Arteaga, Luis E.
Community College Review, v49 n3 p243-261 Jul 2021
Objective: First-generation community college students face unique risks for mental health distress, which can place them at risk for attrition and a myriad of other negative consequences. The aim of the present quantitative investigation was to test the utility of the REDFLAGS model, a mental health literacy based tool for supporting mental wellness, with a national sample of first-generation community college students. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), logistic regression analysis, and a factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) were computed to test the utility of the REDFLAGS model as a tool for promoting first-generation community college students' mental health. Results: The CFA demonstrated that the dimensionality of the REDFLAGS model was estimated adequately with first-generation community college students. First-generation community college students' recognition of the REDFLAGS as warning signs for mental distress emerged as a significant positive predictor of making a peer-to-peer referral to the counseling center. The factorial ANOVA revealed that first-generation community college students who were members of a Greek Organization were more likely to identify the REDFLAGS as warning signs for mental distress. Contributions: Previous investigators established multiple strategies for supporting the mental health needs of either first-generation or community college students. First-generation community college student mental health, however, has received little attention. This study demonstrates the utility of the REDFLAGS model with first-generation community college students. Considering the dearth of literature on first-generation community college student mental health, the REDFLAGS model offers novel implications for promoting the mental health needs of first-generation students enrolled in community colleges.
Descriptors: Mental Health, Multiple Literacies, First Generation College Students, Two Year College Students, Community Colleges, Factor Analysis, Test Validity, Student Personnel Services, At Risk Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A