A Multimodal Intervention for Improving the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being of College Students
Publication Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Peer Review Status
Rights
Due to copyright restrictions this article is unavailable for download.
Staff and Students of Avondale College may access this article via a library PRIMO search here.
Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of a 10-week multimodal intervention for improving the mental health and emotional well-being of college students when included as a mandatory component of the students’ course of study. A total of 67 students (20.9 ± 5.4 years, 30 male/37 female) participated in the intervention that introduced a variety of evidence-based strategies for improving mental health and emotional well-being from the Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology literature. Significant reductions were recorded in symptoms of depression (−28%, P < .05), anxiety (−31%, P < .05), and stress (−28%, P < .01), whereas significant improvements were observed in mental health (18%, P < .01), vitality (14%, P < .01) and overall life satisfaction (8%, P < .05). Effect sizes were larger than those reported by studies that have examined the individual effectiveness of the strategies incorporated into the intervention, suggesting a compounding effect. Stratified analyses indicated that participants with the lowest measures of mental health and emotional well-being at baseline experienced the greatest benefits. The findings of the study suggest that meaningful improvements in the mental health and emotional well-being of college students can be achieved, and potentially magnified, by utilizing a multidisciplinary approach involving evidence-based strategies from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Morton, D. P., Hinze, J., Craig, B., Herman, W., Kent, L., Beamish, P., … Przybylko, G. (2020). A multi-modal intervention for improving the mental health and emotional well-being of college students. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 14(2), 216-224. doi:10.1177/1559827617733941.