Mindfulness Interventions for College Students with ADHD: A Multiple Single Case Research Design

A multiple single case research design (SCRD) was used to examine two mindfulness interventions (MBSR and Vipassana meditation). Impacted symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), psychological distress, mindfulness, and treatment satisfaction in college students were examined via single subject and group analyses. Results indicated that 57% of the seven-person sample evidenced decreases in ADHD symptoms, 72% decreased in distress, 72% increased on the trait measure of mindfulness, and treatment satisfaction was high. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.     

Effects of a Brief Mindfulness Based Group Intervention On College Students

Increases in the number of college students seeking mental health services require counseling centers to explore innovative strategies to provide effective and efficient treatments. Group interventions offer an alternative to traditional individual counseling, allowing centers to serve more students with fewer clinical staff (Burlingame et al., 2016). Of current group modalities, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been growing in popularity as an effective approach for addressing college students’ increasingly complex needs. This study describes the evaluation of a three-session mindfulness-based intervention on students’ mindfulness, symptoms, and stress. Compared to a comparison group of 109 students not seeking counseling center services, 78 students who received the intervention reported increased mindfulness, and decreased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress at the end of the group. Furthermore, improvements in mindfulness mediated intervention effects on symptoms of depression and anxiety. These gains were generally maintained 3 weeks later. These findings support the benefits of brief group interventions for college students. Suggestions for modifications to the intervention and for future research are discussed.     

Someone Else Can Use This Time More Than Me: Working with College Students with Impaired Siblings

This article discusses and illustrates with case examples the impact on the college experience for students who have impaired—medically or mentally ill, substance abusing, developmentally disabled—siblings. Although these students often show resilience and a well-developed sense of compassion, they may also struggle with developmental tasks of the college years. Compulsive altruism and conflicts about needing or receiving special attention influence normal developmental dilemmas of leaving home, forming new relationships, and vocational choice in characteristic ways. These challenges are elucidated and illustrated in this article with case examples. Implications for conducting psychotherapy, including transference and countertransference complications, are discussed. Understanding the difficulties of students with seriously impaired siblings may also alert clinicians to more subtle sibling issues in the broader student population.     

Vocational Safety Preference of College Men With and Without Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An Exploratory Study

For college students with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is associated with increased accidental injury, mindfulness regarding safety issues in vocational choice may be indicated. In this study, a group of male college students with ADHD‐predominantly inattentive type (ADHD‐IA) reported placing less emphasis on job safety than did their peers when considering their professional direction. College counselors might help prevent work‐related injury for similar clients by broaching the topic of safety when discussing vocational choice.     

Sitting Meditation and Mindfulness Effects on Overall Anxiety and Test Anxiety Among College Students

Research shows that mindfulness interventions for test anxiety in a college student population are beneficial (Lothes, Matney, & Naseer, 2022). This study assessed the effects of online mindfulness practices over a 5-week period on anxiety and test anxiety in college students. Participants included 20 students that were randomly assigned to either a sitting meditation or a wait list control (WLC). A weekly schedule of mindfulness practices was given to participants to complete on their own for 5 weeks. The WLC did not do any mindfulness for the first 5 weeks. Participants in the both conditions showed significant within-group reductions in test anxiety, overall anxiety, and DASS scores during their mindfulness interventions. Both groups also showed significant increases in FFMQ scores. Mindfulness may play a role in the reduction of anxiety and test anxiety. Further research is needed to assess how mindfulness may affect anxiety and test anxiety in college students.     

Randomized Trial of Web-Based Stress Management Interventions for Community College Students

Community college students may experience more severe psychological concerns than traditional university students and have fewer institutional mental health resources available. This replication study examined the efficacy of three versions of a brief, structured web-based stress management program with community college students. The program focuses on improving perceptions of control over stressors, based on research suggesting that focusing on what you can control in the present (i.e., present control) is associated with less distress and better adjustment. Participants (N = 213 community college students) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: present control intervention (PCI), PCI with enhanced stress logs (E-PCI) or PCI with mindfulness training (PCI + MF). They completed web-based, self-report measures at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-week follow-up. Participants in all three intervention conditions demonstrated reductions in perceived stress and distress symptoms from pre-intervention to post-intervention and 3-week follow-up. In the PC+ MF group, the mean-within group effect size was d = ?0.46, which was slightly larger than the PCI group (d = ?0.36) and E-PCI group (d = ?0.41). This study replicated that present control interventions are effective in a community college sample. Community college students may benefit from web-based interventions designed to increase present control.     

Mindfulness-based meditation to decrease stress and anxiety in college students: A narrative synthesis of the research

ObjectiveThe primary purpose of this paper was to narratively review the research testing the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress and anxiety in the college students; reviewing the inclusion of mindfulness was a secondary purpose.MethodsA literature search resulted in 57 studies on the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in reducing stress and anxiety in college students.ConclusionsResearchers examined anxiety in 40 studies, self-reported stress in 34, physiological stress in 11, and mindfulness in 24. Thirty-three of 40 and 25 of 34 studies showed significant decreases in anxiety and stress respectively; 22 of 24 showed an increase in mindfulness. Physiological stress had inconsistent results indicating a need for further research. Overall, mindfulness meditation shows promise in reducing stress and anxiety in college students. Additionally, there are a number of differences in mindfulness interventions including frequency, duration, instructional method, and inclusion of yoga, that need quantitative examination (meta-analysis) to determine which is most effective.     

Chapter 4.

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concerns in the United States and they tend to be among the most frequently reported in college mental health. While efficacious research for the psychotherapy treatment of specific anxiety disorders (e.g., social phobia, panic disorder, etc.) exists, the picture is more complex in clinical practice especially with students who are treated as a whole person, usually involving multiple co-existing disorders as well as normal developmental challenges of adjusting to college. This chapter reviews the evidenced-based research for anxiety disorders in both the general population and the college student population, as well as evidence for therapist/relationship factors. It examines the numerous challenges for conducting effectiveness studies in college mental health, suggestions for working with chronically anxious college students, and future directions for research and practice in this area.     

Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms,Perceived Stress,and Resilience in College Students

This research investigated the relationships among symptoms associated with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), perceived stress, and resilience in college students. In our study of 558 college students (175 men, 383 women), we confirmed the hypothesis that the relationship between ADHD symptoms and perceived stress is mediated by protective factors associated with resilience. The relationships were not significantly moderated by sex. Implications for increasing resilience in college students and lowering perceived stress for college students are discussed.     

大学新生的大学英语学习适应性教育研究

大学英语教学的目的、要求、特点和方法与中学英语教学有很大区别,因此大学新生从中学生到大学生的角色转变过程中,常常会面临很多挑战,产生"入学诧异"(entrance shock)现象。本文试图通过分析其产生的原因,探讨如何对大学新生进行适应性教育,使他们迅速适应大学阶段的英语学习,以期对今后的英语学习提出指导性建议。     

Social functioning among college students diagnosed with ADHD and the mediating role of emotion regulation

Despite the many studies that have documented the association between symptoms of ADHD and social difficulties in children and adolescents, few have examined this phenomenon in college students. In addition, the underlying factors contributing to such social difficulties are still poorly understood. We hypothesised that college students with symptoms of ADHD, namely inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, would continue to display social behavioural difficulties, and that emotion regulation would play a mediating role in that relationship. Ninety-nine 17–24-year-old college students filled out three questionnaires to assess Inattentive and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Symptoms, Social Skills, and Emotion Regulation abilities. Analysis revealed that emotion regulation is a significant mediator between Inattentive Symptoms and Social Skills for female students. There was no significant correlation between ADHD symptoms and Social Skills for males. Female college students report social functioning difficulties associated with their inattentive and hyperactive symptoms, and impaired emotion regulation abilities mediate this relationship for inattentive symptoms only.     

The Role of Pets in the Lives of College Students: Implications for College Counselors

The roles that pets play in the lives of college students have received little attention in the college counseling literature. This article will review four topics related to college students and pets that have implications for counselors: (a) the separation anxiety that students experience from not having their pets at college, (b) the devastating impact of losing a pet, (c) requests from students for emotional support animals, and (d) the use of animal-assisted interventions on campuses.     

Psychotherapy with College Student Survivors of War and Political Trauma

The purpose of this article is to bring to the fore a topic that has received little mention in the college student literature: conducting psychotherapy with survivors of war and political trauma who seek treatment at college and university counseling centers. Following a discussion of political trauma in relation to typical developmental challenges of the college years, several case examples illustrate clinical issues for these students. In addition, personal and professional issues faced by the counselors who work with this population will be addressed. Psychotherapy with these clients has demonstrated the potential of resiliency in the aftermath of political trauma.     

Group Therapy for Improving Self-Esteem and Social Functioning of College Students With ADHD

The present study examined the effectiveness of interpersonal group therapy designed to improve self-esteem and social functioning in college students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Participants with documented ADHD diagnoses completed self-report measures of self-esteem and social functioning at the initiation of the study, after 6 weeks, and at 12 weeks. Half the participants completed a 12-week interpersonal group therapy while the other half served as a control group matched by gender and age. Findings suggest that interpersonal group therapy improves self-esteem, psychosocial competence, and emotional maturity, and should be a treatment option for college students with ADHD. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Alcohol and Drug Abuse in College Students

Professional experience has ragged behind patient experience in the area of substance and alcohol use. The purpose of this paper is to remedy that situation. Drug and alcohol use may or may not have reached a plateau for college students by the mid-1980s. Yet disorders related to drugs and alcohol will remain a problem for many in our society. It is during the college years that these disorders will begin for many students, only to take on more serious consequences later. For a smaller number, problems will become apparent during college. Among the functions of a university or college, is preparation of students for the responsibilities and challenges of adult life. Exposure to the specific hazards of late 20th century life should be part of that education. This would suggest that didactic exposure as well as counseling help be available to all those wishing to learn more about the effects of pleasure-producing drugs on the body, the mind, and on human development. Counseling services and college health services will be called on to serve key roles in offering of information on, and help for drug- and alcohol-related problems. The difficulty of diagnosis and the differences in forming a treatment allilance with a student with Substance Abuse Disorder (as opposed to other psychological problems without SUD) will be the focus of this paper. These differences will be a challenge to counselors and other college personnel without specific training in SUD. This paper suggests ways in which these challenges cna be overcome. Among the approaches suggested are: diagnosis and treatment alertness for SUD among students, personal enrichment through treatment supervised by colleagues with experience in the field, careful liasion with college administrators, and the promotion of a variety of infomation and treatment options on campus and within the counseling services. Any steps taken by college counselors in these areas will reap healthy rewards that prevention and early intervention can yield. Considering the enormity of SUD problems personally and socially, these rewards will be great.     

Assessment and Treatment of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder in the College and University Population

The assessment and treatment of students with borderline personality traits or disorders poses specific challenges for clinicians at college and university mental health centers complicated, frequently, by a model of brief treatment frameworks and high patient volumes. Students with borderline pathology will be well represented in student health centers and will likely generate unusually complex and concerning situations for clinicians and administrators. Accurate diagnosis of borderline pathology, avoidance of iatrogenic complications related to misdiagnosis, and referral to informed and evidence-based interventions can guide clinicians’ management. Risk management concerns are best addressed by a clear and realistic understanding of the borderline pathology. The author proposes a variety of interventions for college and university mental health clinicians with the goal of accurate diagnosis of borderline personality, management focusing on safety for both students and clinicians, and targeted referrals for both borderline symptomatology and co-occurring conditions.     

The learning and study strategies of college students with ADHD

This study compared learning and study strategies of students with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to two groups: college students with learning disabilities (LD) and college students without disabilities. In addition, strengths and weaknesses within the ADHD group were examined on the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, 2nd edition (LASSI; C.E. Weinstein & D.R. Palmer, 2002). The LASSI was also evaluated as a predictive measure for academic achievement for college students with ADHD compared to other students. Results indicate that several important differences may exist in the learning and study strategies of students with ADHD versus students with LD and students without disabilities. However, the LASSI may not be a useful tool for predicting academic achievement for college students with ADHD. Interventions for working with students with ADHD are given. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

论学生社团建设在思想政治伦理教育中的作用

伴随着社会的发展和高等教育的深入改革,党中央国务院高度重视学生思想政治教育工作,强调高校学生要树立正确的伦理观。高校学生社团作为＂大学教育第二课堂＂,是高校实施素质教育的重要途径和有效载体,因此,在高校学生社团的建设中,如何有效引导并发挥其在思想政治伦理教育中的作用,将显得十分重要。     

跨文化视野下大学生思想政治教育的论域

跨文化情境已然显现大学生思想政治教育的多元交织与客观挑战。在当下日益繁复的跨文化体验中,确立大学生的引导理念不仅是应对异质文化压力的现代要求,也是破除大学生认知狭隘,提升政治文化辨析能力的有益路径。随着大学生社会化进程的加快与裂变,思想政治教育的主体间矛盾与困惑凸显,这反映了既有教育思路对跨文化情境的不适应。在跨文化的对抗与融通中,重视大学生教育层面的政治实践、文化认同与自我建构成为实现思想政治教育自洽性的三个命题。     

高校辅导员如何培育大学生公民意识

培养高校大学生的公民意识不仅有助于大学生克服市场经济产生的负面效应和转型期所带来的消极影响,更是培养既有科学文化知识又有社会责任感的现代公民的重要途径。高校辅导员作为大学生健康成长的指导者和引路人,对大学生人格塑造、素质培养起着重要作用。注重大学生公民意识的培养工作,这是摆在高校辅导员面前的一项紧迫课题与专业挑战。