Increase College Students Understanding of Counseling and the Counseling Services

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Increase College Students Understanding of
Counseling and the Counseling Services

• Wei-Chien Lee, Ph.D. N.C.C.
• 11/29/2006

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Questions (1) Why? (2) How?
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College Students Psychological Health

• High risk for developing mental illness (Adlaf et
  al., 2001 Sharp et al, 2006) and dropout (ACT,
  2005).
• Felt so depressed it was difficult to function
  at least once within the last 12 months
• Female 49 Male 40
• Seriously considered suicide with in the last
  12 months
• Female 11 Male 9
• Main impediments to academic performance
• Stress (32) Concerns about family/friend (18)
  Relationship difficulties (16)
  Depression/Anxiety (16) Death of friend/Family
  (8) Alcohol use (8).
• Data source American College Health Association
  (2006)

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Utilization of Counseling Services

• Last resort
• 90 adolescents will discuss their distress with
  peers (Ciarrochi et al., 2002) .
• 80 college students consulted with friends
  (Sharkin et al., 2003) .
• for emotional or stress-related problems (Hyun et
  al., 2006) .
• 94 did NOT contact the counseling center for
  their troubled peers (Sharkin et al., 2003) .

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Reasons for not Using Counseling Services

• Do not know about the services.
• No need (Berkeley Graduate and Professional
  Mental Health Task Force, 2004)
• Unrelated to students needs (Atkins, et al.,
  1998)
• The problem is not serious enough (Sharkin et
  al., 2003)
• Stigma (DHHS, 2001 Sharp et al., 2006)
• Mental health illiteracy (Sharp et al., 2006)
• Fears about the nature of mental health treatment
• Lack of knowledge regarding the treatment process
• Low expectations counseling does not help
  (Kearney et al., 2005)
• Lack of knowledge about available services
• Lack of culturally competent services (DHHS 2001
  Kearney et al., 2005)

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The Outreach Presentation

• Target audience
• Primary College students
• Secondary Students peers and faculty members
• The presentation was marketed by
• The Counseling Services website
• Words of mouth, or
• Established relationship a built-in component

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Objectives of the Presentation

• Primary
• Increase students awareness of services provided
  by the Counseling Services.
• Help students to understand how the Counseling
  Services can meet their needs.
• Reduce prejudice and stigma related to counseling
  and psychological problems.
• Increase students psychological health literacy.
  
• Secondary
• Increase students utilization of the Counseling
  Services.
• Prevention.
• Facilitate students success.

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Presentation Essential Contents

• The Counseling Services
• Location, hours, phone numbers, fee, session
  limits, counselors, etc.
• Treatment
• Importance of psychological health.
• What kind problems?
• How will counselor view you?
• What happens in counseling?
• Dose counseling work?
• Current views of psychological problems?
• Medications?
• Different therapy approaches such as CBT,
  solution-focused, etc.
• Logistic information
• How to make appointments?
• What happen after the appointment and beyond?
• Length of each session and treatment process.
• Handouts

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Presentation Flexible Contents

• Common problems students encounter
• Questions to ask your counselor or psychiatrist
• Differences between therapist, life coach,
  psychologist, and psychiatrist
• How to help a friend
• How to choose a counselor
• Quick tips
• Website
• Self-help

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Presentation Process

• Essential
• Students participation
• Interaction and/or activity
• Gift giving

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Presentation Structure

• Part 1
• Question
• Essential components
• Activity
• Break
• Part II
• Another question
• Flexible components
• Reference, handouts, questions

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Stories Developed for the Presentation

• Increase students mental health literacy, reduce
  fear and prejudice
• The Buffer Theory
• Alice in the Wonderland
• Upgrade and patch your software
• Seeking coach
• Swimming to the land in the middle of Atlantic
  ocean or
• Running a marathon or marathons
• Fine-tune your Radar
• The deep-dark pit of Depression
• The Going through a wall story

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Activities Developed for the Presentation

• The Deep Dark Secret
• Lets try it!

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Outcome Evaluation of the Presentation

• Generic evaluation forms of the Counseling
  Services

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Changes I have Made

• Incorporated
• Teaching skills/Tips
• Research and theories
• Know the audience more
• Address Multicultural issues
• Pay more attentions to under-represented
  populations and address Cultural-specific
  concerns
• For Example
• Address possible unique needs of Asian American
  students Social role conflicts (Sharkin et al.,
  2003), vocational identity (Lucas Berkel, 2005)
  
• Address the external barriers issues experienced
  by African American students (Lucas Berkel,
  2005).
• The use of question cards
• See outreach as a Program needed to be developed
  systematically instead of one-time presentation

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Changes to be Made

• Changes to the presentation
• Follow-up plans
• Write Answers on boards
• Add a quiz with prizes
• Leave my cards
• Outcome assessment and evaluation
• Systematic programming
• The Initiator-catalyst approach (Archer Cooper,
  1999).
• System Change
• Increase facultys awareness and education
• Newspaper articles
• Address specific needs for SJSU students
• For example
• Address the Latino value of keeping personal and
  family issues to family (Kearney et al., 2005)