This study examines current trends of university counseling center (UCC) utilization among Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students and student-military Veterans, compared to their nonmilitary-minded peers at a large, private, western university. Given likely differences in the lived experiences between these three populations, research is needed to provide insight on the treatment needs of military-minded students. We examine counseling center data for ROTC (n = 88), Veteran (n = 93), and nonmilitary-minded (n = 16,268) students who presented for counseling services from 2014-2021. A matched sample was obtained from the dataset for some of the analyses. The three groups are compared on multiple variables: therapy utilization, length of treatment, Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45) score at intake, Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 (CCAPS-62) subscale scores and elevation categories at intake, OQ-45 score changes, gender, and age. ROTC students are less likely to present for therapy than their non-ROTC counterparts. All three groups of students attend therapy at similar rates. Veteran students have lower anxiety and academic distress subscale results, but higher frustration/anger indicators than the nonmilitary-minded student sample. When matching age, gender, and initial OQ-45 scores, change trajectories over time are similar, indicating therapy appears to be similarly effective for military-minded students as it is for nonmilitary-minded students. Additional research is warranted to further understand the lower rates of utilization among military-minded students as well as the root circumstances that explain their similarities and differences in presenting concerns. Overall, UCCs appear to be well-positioned to effectively treat the military-minded students that enter for psychotherapy treatment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BGMYU2/oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-11477 |
| Date | 26 July 2024 |
| Creators | Goetz, Jacob Michael Christian |
| Publisher | BYU ScholarsArchive |
| Source Sets | Brigham Young University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/ |
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