Mental Health Matters
Asynchronous Session
A Comparison Study of College Student Satisfaction with Teletherapy Compared to Face-to-face Counseling View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Christine B. Kleinpeter, Elizabeth Pringle Hornsby, John R. Kleinpeter, Jo Brocato, LCSW,CAP
When colleges closed in spring 2020 due to COVID-19, students’ face-to-face counseling moved to teletherapy. There is limited research on students’ satisfaction with teletherapy and the possible benefits over traditional therapy for some students, especially with considerations of diversity and inclusion. This study explored the experiences of 21 students who participated in teletherapy during academic year 2020-2021. Satisfaction levels were measured using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8. SPSS was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory was used to analyze qualitative responses. The response rate was 25.9%. Results indicated high satisfaction levels with teletherapy (mean=29.4, out of a possible 32). Participants were mostly women 81%, between 18-21 years (57%), Asian American (62%), Latinx (19%), white (10%) and other (10%). Satisfaction levels with teletherapy compared favorably with a prior study regarding student satisfaction with traditional therapy (mean=29.8). However, in comparison, teletherapy participants were more likely to be younger and Asian than in-person counseling participants (mean age=26.2, 52.2% white, 27.0% Asian, 18.3% Latinx, and 3.0% other). Qualitative responses focused on appreciation for the therapy sessions or the therapist. The use of technology in therapy was reported as both a strength and a weakness in the counseling experience. It appears that some students may experience higher levels of satisfaction with teletherapy than others. Future research is needed in this area. Limitations include a small sample size and lack of generalizability.
Predictors of Flourishing Among Undergraduate Students View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Loranel Pace, Maria De La Cruz, Brenda Moretta Guerrero, Bianca Villalobos
The purpose of this study is to explore flourishing among undergraduate students in the U.S., and to examine the role of psychological inflexibility, resilience, and stress mindset as predictors of flourishing. The study utilized data from the 2021-2022 wave of the Healthy Minds Study examining mental health, health behaviors, and related issues. We used data from 527 undergraduate students who had completed measures on the variables of interest. Participants consisted mainly of young adults (69% were female, 31% were male) with a mean age of 20.96 years (SD=4.37). Measures included Diener’s Flourishing Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, and a brief Stress Mindset scale. To predict flourishing, a hierarchical multiple regression was conducted with two blocks. The first block included age and sex. In block two, psychological inflexibility, emotional resilience, and stress mindset were entered. The results showed that the first model using age and sex as predictors was not significant. The second model (F(5, 526) = 59.16, p< .001, R2=.36) was significant. The model included inflexibility as the strongest predictor of flourishing (b=-0.47, t= -10.90, p< .001) followed by resilience (b=-0.22, t= -4.96, p< .001). Flourishing represents a way to conceptualize positive mental health and well-being. The most novel finding of this research is that psychological inflexibility is negatively associated with flourishing among college students. Of note, scores on the flourishing scale had a mean of 41. 97 (SD=9.11) which is lower than the cutoff score generally used to identify flourishing (48).
Social Isolation, Loneliness and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Age, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender Intersections using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sean Browning, Denise Cloutier, Margaret Penning
Older adults are widely considered to be among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. However, research has yet to examine whether and how this varies by socioeconomic status and gender. Drawing on intersectionality and stress process theorizing, this study examines how these factors come together to influence the mental health of middle-aged and older Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the role of social isolation and loneliness in mediating this relationship. Data were drawn from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), including the COVID-19 surveys (n=24,114). Regression analyses assessed whether age/income/gender intersections are related to self-rated mental health (SRMH) and depression, and whether social isolation and loneliness mediate these relationships. Social status intersections were differentially associated with SRMH and depression levels. Older (65-74 and 75+) high and moderate income men had the best SRMH and lowest levels of depression. Middle-aged (50-64 year old) low income men and women as well as moderate income women, and older (65-74 year old) low income women had the poorest SRMH and highest depression levels. Social isolation and loneliness were associated with mental health and they partially mediated age/income/gender disparities in mental health. The findings point to the importance of focusing on age, SES and gender intersections for an understanding of mental health among middle-aged and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also support the need to consider the role of intersecting structural positions within social policies and other initiatives designed to address mental health during the pandemic.
Navigating Online Resources and Support for Mental Health Challenges: Perceptions of Online Counselling View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maureen Drysdale, Sarah Callaghan
The purpose of this study is to identify clients' perceptions of online counselling for mental health challenges during and beyond a global pandemic. This qualitative exploratory study involved thematic analysis of posts made on the open forum Reddit for counselling clients to share their experiences with counselling services. Posts selected for analysis focused on users’ challenges and successes navigating and obtaining online counselling services when in-person services were limited. A total of 650 paragraphs by 198 unique users were analyzed by 5 coders. Themes that emerged included issues of quality of care, features of therapeutic relationships when conducted online, and benefits of online counselling.
Sexual Abuse among Ultra-orthodox Jewish Social Work Students View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Daniel J.N. Weishut, Yitzhak Beker
One must be able to discuss sexual health to promote and educate about it. Sexual abuse, though, is a topic that can hardly be discussed openly within the ultra-orthodox Jewish society. This research on sexual abuse was carried out in Israel in the context of a study day on this subject for ultra-orthodox Jewish students of Social Work, aiming to make it discussable. In an anonymous questionnaire, students conveyed if they knew of a person in their close environment who had experienced sexual abuse or if they had experienced sexual abuse themselves. 174 ultra-orthodox Social Work students (84 women and 90 men) answered the questionnaire. The findings reveal that among the women, 82% knew a close person who had experienced sexual abuse, and 29% reported that they had been abused themselves. Among the men, 60% knew a close person who was sexually abused, and 21% reported that they had been abused themselves. Some students indicated they may know someone sexually abused (women: 3%; men: 12%) and may have experienced abuse themselves (women: 18%; men: 21%). Using logistic regression, the odds of reporting being sexually abused increased by 2.9 for women as compared to men [OR=2.9, 95% CI (1.2-7.1), P<0.05] and by 4.0 for those aged 30 and older as compared to those aged 17-24 [OR=4.0, 95% CI (1.2-13.9), P<0.05]. No differences were found based on family status. We discuss these findings in the realm of health promotion and education and provide examples of abuse in ultra-orthodox Jewish society.
