AUTHOR=Long Robyn , Kennedy Megan , Malloy Spink Katie , Lengua Liliana J. 

TITLE=Evaluation of the Implementation of a Well-being Promotion Program for College Students

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.610931

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.610931

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p>Stress that undergraduate students experience is a growing public health concern, and there is increasing attention to programs that promote protective factors and skills to support resilience and well-being. <italic>Be REAL (REsilient Attitudes and Living)</italic> is a program that has been shown to increase students' use of effective coping strategies, mindfulness, and sense of well-being. This study examined whether the program would be effective when delivered by university staff who mentor or advise students.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Eleven university staff advising or mentoring students delivered <italic>Be REAL</italic> in a variety of campus settings to 271 students, and 116 students completed pre- and post-test assessments to evaluate potential changes in stress reduction, managing emotions, coping, social connections, well-being and mental health.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Students who participated in Be REAL showed significant pre to post-test improvements in perceived stress, emotion dysregulation, coping, social connection, self-compassion, and symptoms of anxiety. There was also a trend toward improvements in symptoms of depression.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> The findings suggest that training university staff who work with students to deliver well-being programs is a potential avenue for supporting college student mental health, and a more rigorous evaluation of the <italic>Be REAL</italic> program is warranted.</p>