Student Learning Outcomes Report Counseling and Psychological Services Through a campus-wide media campaign, students were invited to participate in an online mental health screening program that was accessed through the Counseling and Psychological Services website (www.csulb.edu/caps). The campaign was titled: How are you doing? No Really. From July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010, 756 screenings were completed. As a result of our campus-wide campaign, this was a 67% increase in the number of online assessments for mental health when compared with the previous year (2008-2009 - 254 screenings recorded). The campaign proved very successful in providing students with an online anonymous tool for assessing aspects of their mental health. Students could chose to take one or more of the following screening tools: Depression (40%), Alcohol (3%), Bipolar (18%), Eating Disorders (9%), Generalized Anxiety (25%) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress (5%). Consistent with national data on college student mental health concerns, depression and generalized anxiety ranked #1 and #2 as areas of concern to students, followed by bipolar concerns as #3. To assess the impact of our online screening assessment and to understand how student clients of CAPS perceived an enhancement in their mental health as a result of their use of the online assessment feature, CAPS added several questions to its student client evaluation protocol. The protocol was given to all CAPS clients during four specified weeks throughout the year when they came to CAPS for appointments. For the third administration of the protocol (February, 2010) and the fourth administration (April, 2010), the following questions were added: If you have visited the CAPS website recently, please respond to the following questions 1. Overall, I found the CAPS website helpful 2. The CAPS Online Assessment tools for Mental Health were helpful 3. By using the online assessment, I am more aware of my mental health and overall well-being. 4. As a result of using the online assessment, I am more aware of my treatment options 5. By visiting the CAPS resources links, I have more information about mental health than I previously had. 6. By visiting the CAPS resource links, I have a better understanding of my mental health treatment options.
P a g e 2 As seen in the tables below, a significant number of students reported a perceived enhancement in their mental health as a result of their use of the CAPS website, CAPS online assessment for mental health, as well as their use of CAPS resource links on the web. Of those students who were also clients of Counseling and Psychological Services and indicated that they had visited the CAPS website, when asked if they found the CAPS website helpful (Table 1), 85% of respondents either indicated they agreed or strongly agreed with this statement. In addition, 84% of the CAPS respondents who were familiar with the website, agreed or strongly agreed that the CAPS online assessment tools for mental health were helpful (Table 2). When asked if by using the online assessment, they were more aware of their mental health and overall well-being (Table 3), 81% either agreed or strongly agreed with this statement, while only 16% of the respondents were neutral and 3% disagreed with the statement. When asked if by using the online assessment, they were more aware of their mental health treatment options (Table 4), 76% agreed or strongly agreed with this statement. Only 3% disagreed with the statement and 16% were neutral. As part of the evaluation of CAPS website use and helpfulness for student needs, students were asked if by visiting the CAPS resource links, they had more information about mental health than previously (Table 5), 69% agreed or strongly agreed with this statement, while 24% remained neutral and 7% disagreed. When asked if by visiting the CAPS resource links, they had a better understanding of their mental health treatment options (Table 6), 66% agreed or strongly agreed while 31% responded as neutral and 3% disagreed. 1. Overall, I found the CAPS website helpful. 12 26% Agree Agree 27 59% Neutral 7 15% Disagree 0 0%
P a g e 3 N= 46 100% 2. The CAPS Online Assessment tools for Mental Health were helpful. Agree 13 35% Agree 18 49% Neutral 4 11% Disagree 2 5% N= 37 100% 3. By using the online assessment, I am more aware of my mental health and overall wellbeing. Agree 12 32% Agree 18 49% Neutral 6 16% Disagree 1 3% N= 37 100%
P a g e 4 4. As a result of using the online assessment, I am more aware of my treatment options. Agree 12 35% Agree 14 41% Neutral 7 21% Disagree 1 3% N= 34 100% 5. By visiting the CAPS resource links, I have more information about mental health than I previously had. Agree 9 31% Agree 11 38% Neutral 7 24% Disagree 2 7% N= 29 100% 6. By visiting the CAPS resource links, I have a better understanding of my mental health treatment options. Agree 8 28% Agree 11 38% Neutral 9 31% Disagree 1 3% N= 29 100%
P a g e 5 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) helps students meet the personal challenges associated with identifying and accomplishing academic, career, and life goals. Students seek help for a variety of reasons including mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, as well as for every day challenges such as relationship problems and adjustment to college life. Our services include short-term counseling for individuals, group counseling, career development counseling, referral services, psychoeducational workshops, and crisis intervention. As a result of participating in psychological counseling, students reported improvement in their emotional/psychological well-being and a reduction in the degree that personal problems interfere with their academic performance. Desirable outcomes included an increase in healthy behavior, and an increase in a satisfying and productive lifestyle. To measure these learning outcomes, CAPS evaluated the students counseling experience. Surveys were distributed twice a semester to all clients during a one week period. CAPS decided to utilize this type of point sampling in order to guarantee a higher rate of participation by surveying all clients in two distinct points of time during the semester. In addition, CAPS evaluated all psychoeducational workshops and presentations. Follow these links to see the Counseling Experience Instrument used to evaluate client outcomes and counselor performance and the Workshop Evaluation Form used to evaluate outreach workshops and presentations. As seen in the tables below, students reported a perceived decrease in personal problems that interfered with their academic performance. When asked how much their issues interfered with their academic performance before seeking counseling, over 60% of students reported Very Much to Extremely. When asked how much their problems interfered with their academic performance after attending counseling, over 70% of students report from Neutral to Not at All. When surveyed, students also reported an increase in their overall well-being after counseling. Before seeking counseling, approximately 60% of students that came to CAPS reported their overall well-being from Poor to Extremely Poor. After attending counseling, 90% of students reported their overall well-being as Neutral-OK to Excellent. 1. How much did your personal problems interfere with your academic performance BEFORE coming to counseling?
P a g e 6 Extremely 77 23.1% Very Much 132 39.6% Neutral 57 17.1% Very Little 48 14.4% Not at All 19 5.7% N= 333 2. How much do your personal problems interfere with your academic performance CURRENTLY? Extremely 17 5.1% Very Much 77 23.1% Neutral 108 32.4% Very Little 107 32.1% Not at all 24 7.2% N= 333
P a g e 7 3. What was your overall well-being BEFORE coming to counseling? Total Excellent 6 1.8% Good 25 7.5% Neutral-OK 103 30.7% Poor 152 45.4% Extremely Poor 49 14.6% N= 335 4. What is your overall well-being CURRENTLY? Total Excellent 25 7.5% Good 141 42.3% Neutral-OK 134 40.2% Poor 30 9.0% Extremely Poor 3 0.9% N= 333