Highlighting Our Data
In September 2021, Student Affairs participated in the NASPA Mental Health and Counseling Study. The nationally benchmarked survey of undergraduate students revolves around CCAPS, with scales designed to reliably measure psychological symptoms and distress in college students, as well as a number of key protective factors.
The slide deck provides an overview of trends found for all respondents, as well as trends related to demographics and group membership. Of particular interest may be the “cutpoints” established for the CCAPS subscales by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at The Pennsylvania State University. The cut scores divide subscale into three ranges of distress: Low, Moderate, and High. Current norms are based on 448,904 students seeking counseling services at colleges and universities across the United States. The size and diversity of the reference group supports reliability and validity, and facilitates accurate evaluation of clients in clinical settings.
Collecting an analyzing data to better understand our students experiences related to mental health and well-being are important first steps. However, data is arguably without meaning until we take time to reflect on what the data can tell us. In participating in national studies, our ultimate goal is to highlight data that can inform practice to support student success. As a first step, schedule time with your team to talk about the data points and trends shared from the NASPA study. Take time to reflect on what it means in this time and place, and in the context of the work you do. Ask yourselves questions like:
In thinking about the work you do or the work your department does, which data point(s) do you find most interesting or informative?
Did this data challenge any assumptions or preconceived notions about our students and well-being?
After seeing this data, what questions come to mind and/or remain to be answered?
How might the results inform your or your department’s decision-making/actions?
Is there other data that you, your department or the university collects that may connect with this data?
What parts of this need to be shared with your campus or community partners?
Ready to move past reflection into leveraging the data for planning and improvement? Here’s a simple formula you might try:
- Select a survey finding
- Articulate a desired objective/outcome based on the survey finding
- Identify actions/strategies that would be effective in advancing toward the goal
- Plan to reassess after implementing actions/strategies
While these suggestions are relatively straightforward, implementing them takes time and intentionality. If you need or want to talk about the data or collaborate around ways to utilize it to more effectively support our students, please contact Belinda Locke at [email protected].