Recognition and Referral Skills for RAs - Mental Health Problems

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议开发一个互动的在线程序，识别和转介技能的RA培训计划-心理健康问题，培训学院和大学的RA接近，转介，并支持宿舍学生谁可能有心理健康问题。在第一阶段，我们将开发和评估一个原型培训计划，旨在加强RA的能力，联系本科居民谁正在经历心理困扰或行为问题与专业的心理健康服务。计划行为理论将用于指导该计划的制定，该计划旨在培训RA识别，接近，参考和支持可能有心理健康问题的居民。该计划将为监管机构提供：（a）接触他们所关注的居民的具体行动计划;（B）指导如何尊重转介到适当的帮助资源（包括网上资源）;（c）建议如何在转介后与这些居民保持持续对话和积极关系;及（d）了解他们在为可能有精神健康问题的住客提供协助方面的个人限制。该计划的消费者将是美国学院和大学的居住生活和住房部门。在第一阶段，我们将与3所大学的工作人员进行启发式访谈、焦点小组和用户小组，以开发RA识别和转介技能培训计划-心理健康问题的内容。我们将依靠一个指定的，迭代的过程来构建在线程序，包括来自专家咨询小组，居民助理和宿舍主任的广泛反馈。我们的评估计划包括一个前后测试的居民助理的态度，主观规范，感知行为控制，行为意图和用户满意度的变化。我们假设，参与准实验性试验将增加RA分数的行为意图接近，参考，并支持居民谁可能有心理健康问题。我们还希望发现，那些对培训计划表示更满意的RA将有更强的行为意图来接近，帮助和支持那些有心理健康问题的人。为了记录第二阶段工作的基础，确定了确定第一阶段成功的具体标准。在第二阶段，我们计划进行一项多校区的随机试验，以测试RA培训计划的有效性。公共卫生相关性：开发在线培训计划将具有创新性和商业可行性。我们不知道任何基于网络的应用程序，为RA提供培训，以识别，参考和支持可能有心理健康问题的学生。尽管心理健康问题和使用精神药物治疗在本科生中很普遍，但目前美国校园内关于这些问题的RA培训状况不一致，许多机构的RA培训严重不足。为支持这一申请而对宿舍官员进行的一项全国性调查的结果表明，在制定有效的RA培训计划和社会效益方面都有重大的商业机会，即，使有心理健康问题的大学生与专业治疗提供者更好地联系起来。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop an interactive online program, Recognition and Referral Skills for RAs Training Program - Mental Health Problems, to train college and university RAs to approach, refer, and support residence hall students who may have mental health problems. During Phase I, we will develop and evaluate a prototype training program designed to strengthen RAs ability to link undergraduate residents who are experiencing psychological distress or behavioral problems with professional mental health services. The Theory of Planned Behavior will be used to guide the development of the program, which will be designed to train RAs to recognize, approach, refer, and support residents who may have a mental health problem. The program will provide RAs with: (a) concrete action plans for approaching a resident they have concerns about; (b) guidance on how to make respectful referrals to appropriate helping resources (including online resources); (c) suggestions for how to maintain an ongoing dialogue and positive relationship with these residents after the referral; and (d) to recognize their personal limitations in providing assistance to residents who may have mental health problems. The consumer of the program will be departments of residence life and housing at U.S. colleges and universities. In Phase I, we will conduct elicitation interviews, focus groups, and user groups with staff at 3 universities to develop content for the Recognition and Referral Skills for RAs Training Program - Mental Health Problems. We will rely on a specified, iterative process to construct the online program, including extensive feedback from an expert advisory panel, resident assistants, and residence hall directors. Our evaluation plan includes a pre-post test of change in resident assistant attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intent, and user satisfaction. We hypothesize that participation in a quasi-experimental trial will increase RA scores on behavioral intent to approach, refer, and support residents who may have mental health problems. We also expect to find that those RAs who report greater satisfaction with the training program will have stronger behavioral intent to approach, help, and support those with mental health problems. To document a foundation for Phase II work, specific criteria are identified for establishing Phase I success. In Phase II, we plan to conduct a multi-campus, randomized trial to test the efficacy of the RA training program. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The development of an online training program would be innovative and commercially viable. We are not aware of any web-based application that provides training for RAs to recognize, refer, and support students who may have a mental health problem. Although mental health concerns and use of psychotropic medications to treat them are prevalent in the undergraduate population, the current state of RA training on these issues is inconsistent across America's campuses and at many institutions is woefully inadequate. The findings from a national survey of residence hall officials, conducted in support of this application, suggest that there is both a significant commercial opportunity in developing an effective training RA program and a societal benefit, i.e., better linkage of undergraduates with mental health concerns with professional treatment providers.