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Evaluation of a Stress Management Program for Newly Matriculated First-Generation College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Petersen, Trevor J
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1375377440

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences).
National surveys indicate that approximately 15.9 percent of full-time students attending 4-year universities in the U.S. for the first time come from families where neither of their parents attended college (Pryor et al. 2006). These "first-generation college students" have been deemed an at-risk group based on evidence that they experience extensive stressors, both those related to adjusting to being a college student generally as well as unique disadvantages and heightened stressors related to factors associated with their first-generation status (Choy, 2001; Pryor et al., 2006; Thayer, 2000). Although previous studies have examined the outcomes of stress management programs for college students, these studies have methodological limitations and no known study has examined the areas of impact of such an intervention for first-generation college students specifically. Accordingly, the present project examined important adjustment outcomes of a stress management program designed to help first-generation freshman effectively cope with the demands of college life. Using a RCT design, 56 incoming first-generation college students were randomly assigned to either a control or an intervention group. Participants in the intervention group participated in a weekly 7-session mind/body stress management and support group. All participants completed a pre- and post-intervention assessment that included measures of distress/impaired functioning, social support, health promoting behaviors, adaptive coping, and academic performance. Using MANCOVA, controlling for pre-intervention differences between groups, there was a significant difference at post-intervention between the intervention and control group on the combined dependent variables. Specifically, the intervention group reported significantly lower distress and impaired functioning, significantly greater social support, marginally greater health promoting behaviors, and no significant difference in perceived stress and adaptive coping. Independent samples t-tests revealed no difference between intervention participants and controls in GPA at either post-intervention or 16 week follow-up. Participant satisfaction with the intervention was high. These results indicate that university personnel may improve important areas of short-term adjustment to college in first-generation freshman by providing them with stress management programs to complement extant support services offered them.
Bernadette Heckman, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Garske John, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Anderson Timothy , Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Marcks Brook, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Meyer Hans, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
114 p.
Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Psychology
First Generation College Students; Freshman College Students; Adjustment to College; Stress; Stress Management; Support Group; Randomized Controlled Trial; RCT

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Petersen, T. J. (2013). Evaluation of a Stress Management Program for Newly Matriculated First-Generation College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1375377440

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Petersen, Trevor. Evaluation of a Stress Management Program for Newly Matriculated First-Generation College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial . 2013. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1375377440.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Petersen, Trevor. "Evaluation of a Stress Management Program for Newly Matriculated First-Generation College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1375377440

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1375377440
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© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.