Mental Health Disorders (MHDs) are an increasingly pervasive issue on college campuses. The aim of the present investigators was to identify differences in the frequency of attendance in counseling, recognition of warning signs, and awareness of resources for mental distress between and within college students enrolled in Science Technology…

Little is known about demographic differences in college students' engagement in peer-to-peer mental health support (i.e., recognize and refer). To this end, we examined demographic differences in responses to encountering a peer in mental distress among undergraduate students (N = 813) from two separate universities. Results revealed numerous…

Enrollment in postsecondary institutions of higher education increased 33% between 2000 and 2014 and is projected to grow another 13% between 2014 and 2025 (Hussar & Bailey, 2017). This new wave of college students is presenting with increased mental health concerns. If left untreated, the consequences of mental health disorders, including…

This investigation tested the internal structure of scores on the Mental Distress Response Scale (MDRS), a peer-to-peer mental health support screening tool, with a national sample of 237 adolescents from 111 high schools in 30 states. Results revealed psychometric support for the scores on the MDRS and demographic differences in students'…

The author tested the psychometric properties of the Lifestyle Practices and Health Consciousness Inventory (LPHCI), an interdisciplinary healthcare screening tool, with a stratified random sample (N = 4,009) of Black and Latinx adults in all 50 states. Results of EFA, CFA, higher-order CFA, and multiple-group CFA all supported a 3-dimensional…

Meeting the mental health needs of students enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors is particularly challenging for professional counselors who work in college settings, as STEM students are a subgroup of college students that face unique risks for developing mental health issues. The scarcity of literature on…

The aim of this study was to initially validate the REDFLAGS model, 8 cautionary warning signs of mental distress in college students. A test of internal consistency reliability and factor analysis supported the model's reliability and construct validity. Hierarchical logistic regression models endorsed the model's predictive validity; students'…

The development and validation of the 29-item Understanding Mental Health Scale (UMHS) is described. This new questionnaire measures college students' understanding of mental health issues. The authors also identified significant demographic differences in students' understanding of mental health issues. A principal factor analysis revealed a…

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…

Investigators used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to validate scores on the Lifestyle Practices and Health Consciousness Inventory, a screening tool for integrated aspects of physical and mental health, with four national random samples of adults living in the United States. Four correlated dimensions and a higher order factor…

College counselors work collaboratively with professionals in a variety of disciplines in higher education to coordinate gatekeeper training to prepare university community members to recognize and refer students in mental distress to support services. This article describes the cross-validation of scores on the Mental Distress Response Scale…

A growing body of literature has established outreach, education, and consultation with counseling referral agents as a key role of college counseling practitioners. The aims of the present study were to test the utility of The REDFLAGS Model, an acronym of warning signs for mental distress, as a tool for promoting faculty-to-student referrals to…

The number of community college students reporting mental health disorders increased from approximately 40% to 49% between 2014 and 2016. Peer-to-peer mental health support, for example, recognize and refer, initiatives have utility for promoting college student mental health on four-year universities. The potential efficacy of peer-to-peer mental…

College counselors provide training to their campus constituents on various mental health issues, including the identification of warning signs and the referral of students to appropriate resources. Though extensive information on these topics is available in the counseling literature, college counselors lack a psychometrically sound screening…