ERIC Number: EJ1271953
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-8926
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Support on Community College Campuses: Examining the Factorial Invariance of the Mental Distress Response Scale
Kalkbrenner, Michael T.
Community College Journal of Research and Practice, v44 n10-12 p757-770 2020
The number of community college students reporting mental health disorders increased from approximately 40% to 49% between 2014 and 2016. Peer-to-peer mental health support, for example, recognize and refer, initiatives have utility for promoting college student mental health on four-year universities. The potential efficacy of peer-to-peer mental health support, however, has not been extended to the community college student population. The primary aim of the present study was to test the psychometric properties of the Mental Distress Response Scale (MDRS) with a national random sample, stratified by age, gender, generational status, and ethnicity, of community college students. The MDRS is a screening tool for appraising responses to encountering a peer in mental distress. A multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis supported the factorial invariance of the MDRS across a number of demographic characteristics associated with college student mental health. The researcher also identified demographic differences in community college students' MDRS scores. Findings contribute to the community college knowledge base by providing support for the utility of the MDRS for enhancing interventions geared towards promoting peer-to-peer mental health support. Implications for how the MDRS can be used to promote the cultural sensitivity of peer-to-peer mental health support on community college campuses are discussed.
Descriptors: Mental Health, Two Year College Students, Community Colleges, Peer Relationship, Student Reaction, Psychometrics, Error of Measurement, Screening Tests, Student Characteristics, Gender Differences, Ethnicity, Help Seeking, Counseling Services, Stress Management
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A