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.

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.

Objectives. This study explored mechanisms of change for Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) groups. The feasibility and acceptability of a new group therapy protocol were assessed in a college counseling center population.Method. Seventy-five participants engaged in eight transdiagnostic CFT groups. Group CFT consisted of 12 weekly sessions. Participants completed measures of fears of compassion, flows of compassion, self-reassurance, self-criticism, shame, and psychiatric distress at pre, mid, and post time points. Significant and reliable change was assessed. Potential mechanisms of change were examined using correlations. Self-report feasibility and acceptability data were collected from therapists and participants respectively.Results. Significant and reliable change was found for fears of self-compassion, fears of compassion from others, fears of compassion to others, self-compassion, compassion from others, self-reassurance, self-criticism, shame, and psychological distress. Improvements in fears and flows of compassion predicted improvements in self-reassurance, self-criticism, shame, and psychiatric distress. The protocol was judged to be feasible and acceptable.Conclusion. The new CFT group protocol appears to be feasible, acceptable, and effective in a transdiagnostic college counseling center population. The identified mechanisms of change support the theory of CFT that transdiagnostic pathological constructs of self-criticism and shame can be decreased by decreasing fears and increasing flows of compassion.

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