Development of a preventive mental health intervention tailored for first-generation college students

1 online resource (147 pages) : PDF

2018

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

To close the achievement gap between first and continuing generation students, several interventions that specifically target first-generation students have been designed and delivered in a variety of settings. These interventions are typically intended to promote wellness and support academic achievement in students’ college careers, which in turn leads to better outcomes across a variety of domains, such as academic achievement, psychological well-being, and a sense of belonging in the college community. However, many of these programs may be underutilized for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they are not required for graduation, may be burdensome for students to participate in, or may neglect important aspects of the experiences of first-generation students, thus leading to low investment and buy in. In addition, these interventions neglect many of the sociocultural factors that exert a powerful influence upon first-generation students. This study sought to gather feedback from current first-generation college students in order to modify a preventive mental health intervention intended for use with college students in general. Interviews were conducted in two phases, with Phase 1 participants providing feedback on an existing ACT-based preventive mental health intervention and Phase 2 participants providing feedback on a modified version of this intervention. Study participants provided a wealth of valuable feedback about both programs as well as information about their own experiences as first-generation students. This data was used to develop recommendations for a novel intervention that may help to support first-generation students’ academic achievement while attending to their unique sociocultural backgrounds.

doctoral dissertations

Psychology

Ph.D.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Cultural Adaptation
First-Generation College Students

Health Psychology

Peterman, Amy

Rhodes, Theresa
Reeve, Charlie
Abrams, Lyndon

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2018.

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Burgess_uncc_0694D_11904

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:525