Journal of American College Health最新文献

Objective: Mental health screening tools support the process for connecting individuals to appropriate care. Participants: This study compared two such tools, the BHM-20 and the CAT-MH, among first-year undergraduate and graduate students. Methods: Students completed the CAT-MH and, if referred to the counseling center, also took the BHM-20. We analyzed four domains: suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and mania. Concordance between the tools was examined using intraclass correlations (ICCs) overall and across demographic subgroups. Results: Results showed poor agreement in most domains, with mania performing significantly worse than others. Moderate reliability was observed for anxiety overall, though not among Asian students, and a few subgroup ICCs showed moderate reliability. Overall, the CAT-MH and BHM-20 demonstrated limited agreement in college students. Conclusions: The BHM-20 may be better suited for repeated follow-ups, while the longer CAT-MH provides more comprehensive evaluations useful at intake. Providers should be aware that the two measures may not converge to the same symptom severity levels across domains, which could add confusion for treatment planning and evaluation over time. Further research is needed to refine screening across diverse student groups.

Objective: Investigate the demographic, psychosocial, and Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) factors influencing sexual minority undergraduate college students' intentions to seek alcohol-related help.

Participants: A non-probability sample of sexual minority college students throughout the U.S. (N = 253).

Methods: Participants completed an online cross-sectional survey of psychosocial and RAA scales. A hierarchical linear regression tested associations with intentions to seek alcohol related-help.

Results: Racial/ethnic minority students reported lower intentions to seek help than Non-Hispanic White students. Greater childhood adversity was associated with higher help-seeking intentions, whereas more hazardous drinking was associated with lower intentions. Regarding the RAA, more favorable attitudes, stronger norms, and greater autonomy were associated with higher intentions.

Conclusions: There is a need for alcohol screening and brief interventions that integrate racial and sexual minority cultural competency. Universities should implement behavioral health screenings to identify hazardous drinking and incorporate RAA constructs into social marketing campaigns to promote alcohol and other behavioral health help seeking.

Objective: To determine the association between six barriers of mental health counseling and intention to seek mental health help as well as to understand the moderating role of racial discrimination. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of Black students (n = 367), aged 18-25 recruited from a large southeastern university. Participants previously completed an online survey originally conducted to understand student mental health needs and resources on campus. Results: Negative perceived value and discomfort with emotions barriers were negatively associated with intention to seek mental health help. Suicidal behavior was associated with lower help-seeking intention. Racial discrimination did not significantly moderate the association between barriers and intention to seek help for mental health concerns. Conclusions: Findings suggest that contextualizing individual-level barriers through a cultural and contextual lens may be impactful for increasing help-seeking intentions in this population. Further, Black college students may be a critical group to receive suicide prevention interventions.

Background: The classification accuracy of the General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in post-secondary students remains uncertain. Methods: Undergraduate students completed a survey (n = 159) and QuickSCID-5 (n = 130). Sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristics were calculated, and alternative scoring strategies were explored. Results: Most students identified as first-year, Canadian, and female. Among survey respondents, 42% (GAD-7) and 35% (PHQ-9) scored >10. Most students with high stress and GAD-7 scores did not meet the criteria for GAD. At a screening cut-off of >10, sensitivity and specificity were: 80.6/72.3% (GAD-7) and 92.9/72.4% (PHQ-9), respectively. Preliminary evidence supported moderate classification accuracy of GAD-7 (AUC = 0.78) for detecting GAD, but poor accuracy for detecting other disorders. PHQ-9 showed high classification accuracy (AUC = 0.92) for depression; preliminary evidence supported improved accuracy with alternative scoring. Conclusions: While PHQ-9 appears to be a useful screening measure, findings suggest the GAD-7 may capture stress rather than clinical anxiety.

Introduction: Student health centers serve as crucial access points for healthcare within universities, striving to create inclusive spaces where all students feel supported. However, evidence indicates that students in larger bodies frequently encounter weight bias and stigma during clinical interactions, negatively impacting both physical and psychological well-being. Methods: The purpose of the current study was to assess current practices, policies and environments related to body weight and size within campus health services at private, liberal arts colleges in the American South. Results: Among the respondent institutions, 88% have incorporated inclusive weighing protocols (such as blind weighing or weight-optional visits) and 71% have implemented broader size-inclusive initiatives. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that private liberal arts colleges in the South are considering weight inclusivity in their practice, suggesting a promising shift toward reducing healthcare barriers and improving health outcomes for college students of all body sizes; however, there are opportunities to further reduce weight stigma.

College health and mental health services respond increasingly to students whose health needs, mental health concerns, and wellness behaviors are affected or compounded by identity factors. In this Comment, we suggest that employing an awareness of intersecting identities and their effects can improve the provision of college health services. In this way, we extend the Journal of American College Health's longstanding conversations about evidence-based practices and well-defined student populations. We review the intersecting identities construct, demonstrate its relevance to college health practice, and for clarity, distinguish the intersecting identities heuristic as a clinical tool from the use of intersectionality language in other more sociopolitical settings.

Objective: We aimed to understand the current state of the grey literature pertaining to substance use policies on Canadian university campuses.

Methods: We followed Arksey and O'Malley's 5-step framework, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched institution webpages, the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health(CICMH) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) websites for policy and/or guiding documents targeting student substance use on university campuses, published between 2012 to 2024.

Results: A total of 118 documents were included (Institutions, n = 110; CICMH, n = 7; CAMH, n = 1). Institution documents included government regulations, outlined consumption rules in residence, and banned smoking. Few provided harm-reduction strategies. CICMH and CAMH documents encouraged applying whole-campus approaches when regulating substance use.

Conclusions: Most institutions focused on individual-level approaches to regulation, and lacked comprehensive, action-based approaches. CICMH and CAMH documents can help create comprehensive, balanced approaches for harm reduction.

Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative organism known to cause invasive bacterial disease including meningitis and sepsis. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a pathogen in the same genus and causes gonorrhea, a common sexually transmitted infection that often manifests as urethritis. N. meningitidis can also cause urethritis, yet diagnosis is difficult as it is not detectable on routine gonococcal testing. We present a case of a patient with N. meningitidis urethritis, and discuss the epidemiology and approach to diagnosis and treatment of this illness. It is important to keep N. meningitidis in the differential diagnosis for patients with nongonococcal urethritis.

Objective: To examine HIV/STI testing behaviors, awareness of self-sampling kits, and knowledge of PrEP among minority college students attending a large public university in North Texas. Participants: A convenience sample of 110 students (64.8% Black, 35.2% Hispanic/Latino) completed an anonymous online survey between October and November 2023. Methods: A cross-sectional survey assessed sexual behaviors, HIV/STI testing history, self-sampling, PrEP awareness, and condom use. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Results: Most participants had never tested for HIV (73.6%) or STIs (68.2%). Awareness of self-sampling kits (23.6%) and PrEP (18.2%) was low; only 2.7% had used a kit, and inconsistent condom use was common. Despite these risks, most recognized that young adults remain vulnerable to HIV (91.8%) and STIs (97.3%). Conclusions: Persistent disparities and limited awareness of prevention resources exist among minority college students. Expanding culturally relevant education, PrEP outreach, and self-sampling access is essential to advance sexual health equity.