Students' mental health problems are a growing concern in higher education. In recent times, these concerns have doubled due to the significant socioeconomic, political, and technological changes in the world. With the emergence of the ongoing novel COVID-19 pandemic, students in higher education are faced with increased mental health challenges.…

Research, media sources, and polls have identified negative effects associated with presidential elections. The aim of this research was to investigate associations between US presidential election results and mental health outcomes in university students. This investigation consisted of two independent studies. Study 1 analyzed data collected…

College and university counseling centers have maintained core practices of advanced scheduling, thorough psychosocial assessment before treatment, and traditional 50-minute psychotherapy sessions since their inception in the mid-late 1900s. This approach has become challenged in the current university mental health landscape, which has seen a…

While stigma is a complex, multidimensional concept, research regarding mental illness stigma has not been clearly defined or consistently measured across studies, thus limiting the broad application of this research. The current study examined the relationship between several dimensions of public stigma and treatment utilization for mental…

For several decades, college counseling centers have struggled to meet a steady rise in demand for services. Research suggests that therapeutic advancements, including psychotropic medication, have led to an increase in students with serious mental illnesses who now represent a significant portion of this demand. Current strategies to meet the…

Millions of college students across the United States experience anxiety disorders, evidencing a high need for evidence-based counseling techniques. At the same time, impairment resulting from anxiety often necessitates classroom accommodations at the postsecondary level. Cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure (CBT ERP) involves a thorough…

Researchers have noted the detrimental effects of racial microaggressions on the mental health of Black college students. Further, research has identified ethnic identity as a possible moderating factor on the mental health of racial minorities. We examined six dimensions of racial microaggressions and their relation to depression symptoms in a…

College students are experiencing heightened mental health difficulties, with problems intensifying during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a group intervention focused on cultivating mindfulness skills, with demonstrated efficacy in reducing psychopathology and bolstering mental health. This pilot randomized…

University students face significant mental health challenges and often have difficulties seeking and obtaining mental health care. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) seeks to increase psychological flexibility and valued living, and is well-suited for a transdiagnostic, skills-based approach that can support students with diverse needs.…

The current article describes recommendations for identifying and developing referral sources for student-athletes seeking counseling services. A Counseling Center at a northeastern state university collected data from student-athletes presenting for mental health services about who referred them and what sport they played. Findings indicated a…

Using a cross-sectional survey (N = 1,225), this study examines the psychological well-being (stress, anxiety, depression), life satisfaction, supportive parent communication, and likelihood to seek mental and emotional support from different sources between FGCSs and non-FGCSs during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that…

This study compared pre-treatment distress and the changes in that distress over the course of therapy between sexual trauma clients and non-sexual trauma clients. Reasons for therapy ending were also examined. Data for this study were collected at 139 university counseling centers. Psychological distress was measured using the Counseling Center…

This study sought to develop the College Mental Health Scale (CMHS) as a screening instrument among Iranian college students. In total, the nationally representative sample (N = 74,571) was selected to match the Iranian college student population throughout the country. In the first study, a conceptual framework was developed and a pool of items…

Despite advances in suicide risk assessment and intervention, evidence-based suicide prevention training for university health service providers is still lacking. This study evaluated the core competency model of suicide prevention training for an interdisciplinary sample of university counseling and student health providers (N = 21). Training was…

With the rise in demand for mental health services on college and university campuses, counseling centers have engaged in numerous creative methods to expand services to meet these increasing demands. One approach within campus counseling centers, with promise, is embedded therapists. Despite the increasing application of embedded therapists,…