This study was designed t o provide information about : (l) Utah State University students ' impressions of counseling , (2) the sources of these impressions, (3) students ' awareness of the University Counseling Center , and (4) the effect of the foregoing factors on student use of the counseling facilities. The sample consisted of a group of 107 freshmen and 43 sophomore s randomly selected from the general psychology courses at Utah State University , Logan , Utah . Student information was obtained by a questionnaire and students ' impressions of counseling were assessed by a semantic differential. The data were analyzed by t - test , chisquare and analysis of variance . The implications from the results indicated that: l. The single "most important" source of impression was the counselor , which indicated that high school counselors could be effective in orienting students to professional facilities available at the university level . This infers that college personnel should increase their communication with high school counselor s . 2 . The Utah State University (USU) Counseling Center needed to develop other means of making students aware of the counseling facilities . Since so few students indicated the newspaper as being their source of awareness, perhaps this indicates an effective instrument for creating awareness . The bulletin board, however, appeared to have been effective in alerting students t o the counseling center and should be continued. 3. Parents seemed to convey an impression of counseling to students which encouraged their use of the facilities more than the other sources of impressions studied in this investigation . Parents were also indicated as the second "most important" source of students ' impressions of counseling . These support the need for increased counselor- parent communication .

This study examines current trends of university counseling center utilization among Latino students at a large, private, western university. We examined counseling center data for Latino (n=1,231) and European American (EA) (n=18,125) students who presented for counseling services from 1996-2013. Latino students were divided into three subgroups, U.S. born Latino students (USB), international Latino students (IB), and Latino students who were born internationally but who are now U.S. citizens (IBUS). These three subgroups were compared with the EA student group on multiple variables; therapy utilization, length of treatment, Outcome Questionnaire (OQ) score at intake, OQ change, therapy usage by gender, and intake responses to the Family Concerns Survey and Presenting Problems Checklist. IB students presented for treatment with significantly higher levels of distress than any other group. EA students were more likely to attend therapy than any Latino subgroup. EA students also did not endorse any familial concerns or presenting problems at higher rates than any Latino subgroup. Further research is needed to understand why Latino subgroups are experiencing more distress and attend less treatment than EA counterparts and to look more in depth at resources for IB students, who appear to be the most at-risk Latino subgroup.

Abstract The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between (a) racial/ethnic matching between African American clients and their counselors (i.e., Black, White, and non-Black racial/ethnic minority counselors) and therapeutic outcomes (i.e., change in symptoms, treatment length, and premature termination), (b) while also controlling for the potential influences of client (i.e., initial distress level, family and social support, and socioeconomic status) and counselor (i.e., experience level) characteristics. Change in symptomology on specific domains of functioning (i.e., Depression, Generalized Anxiety, Academic Distress, and Distress Index) was assessed using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-34 (i.e., CCAPS-34; Locke et al., 2012). The change in symptomology was classified into one of three categories (i.e., improvement, no change, and deterioration). An archival data set that consisted of client data from the 2011-2012 academic year contributed by 120 university and college counseling centers in the U.S. that were participating members of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health was used. The sample sizes for the analyses were: 348 clients for change in functioning analyses, 1,418 clients for treatment length analyses, and 2,024 clients for premature termination analyses. The findings indicated that after controlling for the covariates, clients who were matched with White counselors were more likely to experience deterioration in overall distress symptoms, rather than no change in symptoms, compared to those who were matched to Black counselors. Also, those clients who were matched with White counselors were more likely to prematurely terminate their counseling sessions, compared to those who were matched to Black counselors or non-Black racial/ethnic minority counselors. The findings from this study may assist researchers and university counseling center staff in understanding the potential influence of ethnic matching on outcomes and service utilization for African American clients. Keywords: ethnic match, African American, outcome research, university counseling center, Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms

Premature termination is a common clinical phenomenon in university counseling setting, often very disruptive to the therapeutic process, can be dangerous for clients at risk, evokes considerable reactions and among therapists, and often causes treatment to be not as beneficial to them. The existing literature reflects both clinical conceptualizations and empirical investigations into the nature and effects on premature termination in psychotherapy, both on clients and therapists. However, there are only few studies that examined, from an objective personality assessment standpoint, profiles of clients who tend to drop-out of therapy prematurely. The current study investigated if clients at a university counseling center, who were classified to two groups (prematurely terminated and non-prematurely terminated), significantly differ on their Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 2003) scales. A canonical discriminant function analysis was conducted to determine whether the PAI scales could predict premature termination within a sample of university counseling center clients. The results indicated that the overall predictors differentiated between the two groups. The within-groups correlations between the predictors, two scales demonstrated significant relations with the discriminant function—SCZ and ANT-A. These results suggest that clients with antisocial behaviors (ANT-A) tend to prematurely terminate, whereas clients with schizophrenic tendencies (SCZ) tend to remain in treatment. In order to receive more accurate results and better range of those scales descriptive statistics were utilized, checking the percentage of students from the ANT-A group that received moderate results on the scale (T=>60) as well as those from the SCZ group who also receive moderate results on the scale (T=>60) . Results suggested that 83% of the prematurely terminating group had moderate elevation of ANT-A symptomatology (T=>60T), and 66% of the non-premature terminating group had moderate elevation of SCZ symptomatology (T=>60T). An integrative discussion of the results, via the lens of Motivational Interviewing perspective, allows for explanation and possible implications for clinical work.

Background: Several college students experience psychological distress and access college counseling center services every year. A subgroup of this population, collegiate student-athletes, experience unique stressors and protective factors but are less likely to engage in those same services. Mental health research on this subpopulation is still sparse and yields mixed findings, particularly treatment outcome research. Objective: This study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes of student-athletes and general population students. Method: Participants were 10,566 college students (ages 18-26) from 139 universities in the United States that obtained routine psychological treatment at their college counseling center. Approximately 55% of the sample identified as female, 44% as male, and less than 1% identified as transgender or self-specified. The ethnicity of the sample was approximately 76% White, 10% African American/Black, 5% Hispanic/Latino, 3% Asian/Asian American, 4% Multiracial, 1% Self-identified, < 1% American Indian/Alaska Native, and < 1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The measures used for this study were the Standardized Data Set (SDS) and the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-62). Differences in the number of sessions attended, initial distress at intake, and change in symptoms were calculated between the two groups along eight domains of distress. Results: 8% of the sample identified as student-athletes. There are no differences in the number of sessions attended. Student-athletes entered treatment self-reporting lower levels of distress on all eight domains of the CCAPS-62. Student-athletes reported greater symptom improvement in five of the eight domains of the CCAPS-62 and no differences in the other three. There were no differences between the two groups in the proportion of participants that recovered, reliably improved, did not change, or deteriorated across treatment. Conclusions: Although student-athletes are accessing psychological treatment less frequently, they may be able to experience the same or better outcomes than their general population peers tend to when they do.

The last two decades have seen significant changes in organizational structures within higher education. Counseling centers are no exception and have been the target of reorganizations and mergers that often involve student health services. Outcomes of these efforts have varied; some being quite successful while others have resulted in failures and the re-creation of systems that are remarkably similar to the ones that existed in the first place. An examination of the positive and negative issues relevant to mergers and reorganizations of counseling centers can be helpful in the determination of whether or not to proceed with one. In the event the decision is made to proceed, a systematic process that encourages consideration of essential steps relevant to mergers or reorganizations can promote improved decision-making and outcomes.

Background: Several college students experience psychological distress and access college counseling center services every year. A subgroup of this population, collegiate student-athletes, experience unique stressors and protective factors but are less likely to engage in those same services. Mental health research on this subpopulation is still sparse and yields mixed findings, particularly treatment outcome research. Objective: This study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes of student-athletes and general population students. Method: Participants were 10,566 college students (ages 18-26) from 139 universities in the United States that obtained routine psychological treatment at their college counseling center. Approximately 55% of the sample identified as female, 44% as male, and less than 1% identified as transgender or self-specified. The ethnicity of the sample was approximately 76% White, 10% African American/Black, 5% Hispanic/Latino, 3% Asian/Asian American, 4% Multiracial, 1% Self-identified, <1% American Indian/Alaska Native, and <1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The measures used for this study were the Standardized Data Set (SDS) and the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-62). Differences in the number of sessions attended, initial distress at intake, and change in symptoms were calculated between the two groups along eight domains of distress. Results: 8% of the sample identified as student-athletes. There are no differences in the number of sessions attended. Student-athletes entered treatment self-reporting lower levels of distress on all eight domains of the CCAPS-62. Student-athletes reported greater symptom improvement in five of the eight domains of the CCAPS-62 and no differences in the other three. There were no differences between the two groups in the proportion of participants that recovered, reliably improved, did not change, or deteriorated across treatment. Conclusions: Although student-athletes are accessing psychological treatment less frequently, they may be able to experience the same or better outcomes than their general population peers tend to when they do.

This study was designed to answer two research questions. First, factors associated with placement decisions to three treatment modalities in a university counseling center were examined; the skills training group for dialectical behavior therapy plus individual therapy (DBT), the interpersonal process group plus individual therapy (IP), and individual therapy only (IND). Individual therapy in all three conditions did not follow a specific theoretical orientation. Of 203 participants (55 males, 148 females), 83 were in DBT, 53 were in IP, and 67 were in IND. Client information included demographic variables (e.g., age, gender) and clinical variables (i.e., diagnosis, and scores from Global Assessment of Functioning, the Outcome Questionnaire-45; OQ-45, and the College Adjustment Scale; CAS). As predicted, the results indicated that clinical characteristics played a significant role in referral decision making, with clients in the DBT condition reporting higher clinical severity. Second, the effectiveness of the skills training group (DBT) was examined, testing the hypothesis that people in DBT start out with more clinical problems but make greater progress than those in IP and IND. Treatment outcome was measured by the OQ-45 and the CAS, each collected at multiple time points. Data from 101 people were available for the OQ-45, and 77 people for the CAS. The results did not provide support for the hypothesis. Although significant change was observed over the course of treatment, no clear patterns of superior outcomes for any of the three treatment conditions emerged.

Depression is one of the most commonly-diagnosed disorders in college counseling centers (Adams, Wharton, Quilter, & Hirsch, 2008), so effective diagnosis and treatment are paramount to providing adequate care to college students. Treatment direction may depend on gender, however. Not only do males and females experience depression at different rates (Kessler et al., 2003), but there also is some evidence that factors predict depression differently by gender (Tamres, Janicki, & Helgeson, 2002). Specifically, the literature suggests that the choice of coping strategies may be gender-related; that perceived control is higher in males, yet more important to females; that social connectedness in particular may be valued more strongly and used more frequently as a coping style by females than males; and that coping resources seem to mitigate the harmful effects of stressful events. Consequently, it seems important to examine the relationships of coping resources, coping styles, mastery, and social support to the experiences of depression. The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the predictors of depression and methods for coping with depression in college students and to determine how these differ by gender. Results demonstrated gender differences in the experiences of many variables studied as well as the prediction of depression. High levels of perceived stress factored in as an important predictor of depression for both genders. Prediction models of best fit for females also included low mastery and low social support, while few coping resources along with high perceived stress appeared to be the most important factors in depression prediction for males. Mastery was also found to moderate the relationship between social support and depression for males. Results have implications for increasing college students’ abilities to cope with depression, thus reducing the negative academic, psychological, and physiological effects of depression.

This 2-study research project explored whether the ethnicity of university counseling center therapists affects White clients’ therapy attendance rates and perception of counselors’ trustworthiness and level of expertise. Study 1 examined attendance rate differences of the clients of White therapists versus ethnic minority therapists in a university counseling center to determine if the minority therapists have lower client attendance rates than clients of White counselors. Study 2 examined White undergraduate participants’ ratings of profiles of White, African American and non-US Indian counselors portrayed in a mock university counseling center brochure on factors of trustworthiness and expertise. It also examined Big 5 personality traits as covariates to determine if the trait of Openness to Experience positively influences White participants’ ratings of ethnic minority therapists. Results for Study 1 showed that practicum-level ethnic minority trainees had significantly lower client attendance rates when compared with practicum level White therapists; no significant differences in client attendance rates were found among intern-level minority and White therapists. Study 2 found that non-US Indian counselors were rated more negatively than White or African American counselors by White participants. However, the trait of Openness did not show a significant interaction with ethnicity of counselor among participants. The article concludes with a discussion of the main findings, future research ideas, and practical implications for university counseling centers regarding assigning clients to ethnically/culturally different counselors.