Woodland S.A.S. Final Project

#StressmenProbs: Woodland S.A.S.: Seniors
Alleviating Stress
November 4, 2014 - Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt in Woodland
Hall MFR
November 6, 2014 – Walk with a Senior in Woodland Hall lobby
By: Maggie Allen, Addie Benning, Sade’ Gibson and Nicole Holmes

Woodland S.A.S.:SeniorsAlleviating Stress
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Summary
Mental health has become a growing concern for college students across the United
States. Stress has been identified as the top factor that affects college students’ academic
career in the past year at 27.9% (ACHA-NCHA 2013). Freshmen students in general have added
stress due to the transition from high school to college and leaving their homes. Our target
population was the freshmen of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville living in Woodland
Residence Hall. We conducted a needs assessment in the lobby of Woodland Hall to see if the
freshmen were experiencing the same mental health problems as we found in national
data. Stress was the top problem reported by freshmen in Woodland Hall. Because of this, we
decided to focus our program on providing the Woodland freshmen effective ways to manage
their stress.
Our group, Woodland S.A.S. (Seniors Alleviating Stress), implemented two different
programs for stress relief in Woodland Hall, Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt and Walk with a
Senior. The first program, Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, gave participants an opportunity to
actively engage in effective stress reduction techniques. The second program, Walk with a
Senior, gave participants an opportunity to openly discuss some of the stressors in their
lives. Then, we as health educators talked with participants about healthy ways to reduce their
stress. We also talked with them about resources available to them on campus to reduce their
stress.
Before we implemented, we set several objectives to meet by the conclusion of the
programs using the Social Cognitive Theory specifically addressing the constructs of self-efficacy
and behavioral capability. After our two programs we found that all ten objectives had been

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met. Because of this, we feel that our two programs were successful. We measured these
objectives by having the participants fill out pre-tests before the program and post-tests after
the program was over. We also measured one of the objectives by self-observation from us as
program planners. After the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, we observed that
100% of participants were able to demonstrate at least three different yoga poses. At the end
of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, we found that 90% of participants were able to list at least
one of the days and times for yoga taught at SIUE Fitness Center. At the completion of Unwind
with Yoga and Yogurt, we found that 100% of participants reported a decrease in their stress
level. We observed after Walk with a Senior that 70% of participants were able to correctly
identify three stress reduction techniques. We discovered that after Walk with a Senior that
90% of participants would be likely or very likely to use the stress relief techniques that we
taught them in the future. If we had more time with this population, we might followed up
with the participants after several years to see if they still use the stress reduction techniques
that they were taught in our program. Also to see if they are continuing with yoga as a stress
relief technique. We also realized after the programs that there may have been a social
desirability bias specifically in Walk with a Senior. We thought this may have been the case
because we were present when the participants were filling out their pre and post-tests, so
they may have felt pressured to put what they thought we wanted to hear on their tests. We
recommend that program planners be relatable to their participants to increase openness and
for them to not think of you as an authority figure. Also try to pay attention to detail because it
is important for reliable data when conducting a needs assessment.

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Team Member Biographies
Maggie Allen is a 23 year old senior in the Community Health Education program at Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville with a minor in Psychology. She is a native of Nokomis, IL but
currently resides in Edwardsville, IL. She has been on the Dean’s List for 3 semesters
throughout her time at SIUE and currently holds a 3.4 GPA. She has worked part-time
throughout her time in college and currently works as a barista at Kaldi’s coffee shop on
campus. In the spring semester of 2015, she will intern with Coordinated Youth and Human
Services with Madison County AIDS Prevention. After graduation she plans on working in
community health in the Metro East area.

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Addie Benning is a 22 year old senior in the Community Health Education program at Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville, with a minor in Business. She was born and raised in Streator, IL
and currently resides in Edwardsville, IL. She has worked all four years of her college career for
the Business Office at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In the spring of 2015 she will
begin her Internship with the St. Clair County Health Department in Belleville, IL. After
graduation she plans to move to Colorado and start her career as a Health Educator.

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Sade’ Gibson is a 21 year old senior in the Community Health Education program at Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville. She is a lifelong resident of Calumet City, IL but currently lives in
Edwardsville, IL. She is currently the captain of a non-competitive volleyball intramural team on
SIUE’s campus. She has worked part-time for majority of her time in college and currently
works downstairs in the MUC as a dish room worker. She enjoys meeting new people,
volunteering and spending time with family and friends. Her immediate post college plans
include going into the Air Force as a reserve and pursuing a nursing degree.

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Nicole Holmes is a lifelong resident of Chicago, Illinois and is a 21 year old senior in the
Community Health Education program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Nicole is
currently a member of 4 honors societies (her two favorites are Eta Sigma Gamma - Health
Education and Pi Delta Phi - French Honors Society). She is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta
Sorority Incorporated, a historically African American sorority founded on the principles of
scholarship, sisterhood, service and finer womanhood. She volunteers with Illinois Choice
Action Team, a women’s rights organization and she also volunteers with the Madison County
AIDS program (MADCAP). She has a special interest in sexual health and sexuality education.
She enjoys spending time with family, volunteering, traveling and eating new food as well as
favorite dishes. Her immediate post college plans include moving to Philadelphia and pursuing a
Master's Degree in Sexuality Education.

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PRCEDE/PROCEED MODEL

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Social Diagnosis
Edwardsville Illinois, a small city in the Metro area, was established in 1805 making it
the third oldest city in Illinois (“City of Edwardsville”, 2013). It is located twenty miles East of St.
Louis, Missouri. According to 2013 Unites States Census Bureau, the population of Edwardsville
is 24,663. Edwardsville is considered a wealthy city, with the median household income being
$73,759 compared to the state of Illinois being $56,853 (United States Census Bureau 2013).
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, established in 1957, is located on 2,660 acres
filled wildlife, forestry, and beautiful scenery (SIUE, 2014). Besides SIUE's great location, it is
considered one of the top 10 safest universities in Illinois, one of the most affordable, and also
has a great student teacher ratio of 17:1 as compared to other universities. SIUE's Fall 2014
enrollment (undergraduate and graduate) population totaled 13,972 (SIUE, 2014).The previous
freshmen class totaled 2,781. The 2013 undergraduate population was made up of 74.5%
Caucasian, 14.5% African American and 3.6% Hispanic (SIUE, 2014).
Our target population is the freshmen residents living in the Woodland Hall. Woodland
Hall is one of three available residential halls for freshmen students. Each residential hall
houses about 500 co-ed students each and accommodates persons with disabilities. It also
includes a fitness room, multi-purpose room, computer lab and 24 hour laundry facilities. Each
wing contains a social lounge as well as a study lounge.
We conducted our needs assessment on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
campus in Woodland Hall. We reserved a table in the lobby of Woodland Hall and asked
seventy-three of the freshmen who walked into the building to participate in our survey. The
survey consisted of five multiple choice questions (see Appendix A for needs assessment). At

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the conclusion of the survey, we found that in the past week the participants felt stressed,
overwhelmed, anxious, and lonely. The main factors that contributed to these problems were
school, relationships, and financial situations. They expressed that they relieved stress by
sleeping, recreational activities such as working out and talking to a friend or trusted person.

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Epidemiological Diagnosis
The larger social problem we found within this group who completed our needs
assessment was stress, specifically stress due to school work, financial situations, and
relationships. According to the American College Health Association National College Health
Assessment (ACHA-NCHA), mental health is an area of college students’ life that is often
dismissed.
According to ACHA-NCHA (2013):
 The factors that impact a college student’s academic career in the last twelve months
include:
 Stress - 27.9%
 Anxiety - 19.7%
 Sleep difficulties - 19.4%
 Work - 13 %
 Depression - 12%
 Relationship Difficulties - 8.5%
 Finances: 6.3%
 Homesickness - 3.7%
 Roommate difficulties - 4.3%
 Eating disorder/problem - 1.2%
 At least once within the last twelve months, students reported feeling:

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 Felt overwhelmed by all you had to do - 84.4%
 Felt exhausted (not from physical activity) - 80%
 Felt very sad - 59.5%
 Felt very lonely - 56.5%
 Felt overwhelming anxiety - 51%
 Felt things were hopeless - 44.7%
 Felt overwhelming anger - 35.6%
 Felt so depressed that it was difficult to function - 30.9%
 Seriously considered suicide - 7.5%
 Intentionally cut, burned, bruised, or otherwise injured yourself - 5.9%
 Attempted suicide - 1.4%
 Within the last 12 months, students had been diagnosed or treated by a professional for
the following:
 Anxiety - 13.2%
 Depression - 11.1%
 Panic Attacks - 6.1%
 Within the last 12 months, 42.3% of college students reported more than average stress
levels.

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Behavioral Environmental Diagnosis
Our needs assessment identified the top four factors that contribute to the larger social
problems among college freshmen. The freshmen students who participated in the needs
assessment reported feelings of stress, anxiety, being overwhelmed, and loneliness. After
researching journal articles, several common themes were found regarding college students
and mental health. Factors such as gender, race and a general sense of identity play a role in
the overall mental health of a college student. Suicide rates that occur between 6.5 to 7.5 per
100,000 college students was a clear indicator of the problem of untreated symptoms, such as
depression or undiagnosed symptoms of poor mental health in college students (“Campus
Data: Prevalence,” n.d.).
A survey of college students found that 17% of the students who participated could be
diagnosed with depression. These findings were recorded in the journal article Mental Health
Problems and Help-Seeking Behavior Among College Students by Hunt and Eisenburg (2010). A
study conducted by National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions
(NESARC) found that almost half of the students met the DSM-IV requirements for at least one
mental health disorder. The ACHA-NCHA also found that of those diagnosed with depression,
only 24% were seeking treatment (2010). According to The Impact of Self-Esteem and Social
Support on College Students’ Mental Health by Merianos, Nabors, Vidourek, and King (2013),
the third leading cause of death of college students is suicide. A nationwide study of college
students found that ten percent have reported “feeling mentally ill and seriously considered
suicide within the previous year of taking survey” (p. 27). Some common stressors include
missing loved ones, loneliness, relationship troubles, social life, academics, and finances (2013).

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In Having the Time of Their Life: College Students Stress, Dating, and Satisfaction with Life by
Coccia and Darling, it was stated that those in the aged 18-33 have more stress than any other
age group (2014). According to Prevalence of Stress References on College Freshmen Facebook
Profiles by Egan and Moreno, a 1999 study found that of college freshmen “30% reported
feeling frequently overwhelmed” (2011).
Mental health and low self-esteemare both factors in determining students’ GPA as
well as their decision to drop out (Merianos et al, 2013, p. 32). In The Relationship of Level of
Positive Mental Health with Current Mental Disorders in Predicting Suicidal Behavior and
Academic Impairment in College Students, Keyes, Eisenburg, Perry, Dube, Kroenke, and Dhingra,
found that mental disorders tend to increase the rates of certain factors such as substance
abuse, conduct disorders, academic issues, and withdrawal from school. Keyes et al. also
mentioned a study conducted by the Journal of American College Health which found that
10.8% of the participating students mentioned mental and/or emotional health as an
impairment to their studies (2013). Gender also plays a role in the mental health of college
students. Females tend to have more mental health problems than males do (Merianos et al,
2013 p. 31). Mental health also affects whether students stays at college as well. O’Keefe
mentions in A Sense of Belonging: Improving Student Retention that student attrition rates for
the United States is 30-50%, with 4.7% dropping out due to a mental illness each year
(2013). O’Keefe (2013) also states that students at risk for non-completion are “ethnic
minorities, academically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, of low socioeconomic status,
and probationary students” (p. 606). If a student’s parents did not go to college, that student
has a higher likelihood of withdrawing (2013). There are also many barriers to college students

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seeking treatment for mental health. Some of the barriers are lack of time and emotional
openness, worries about privacy and finances, they don’t think they need help, unawareness of
services, and skepticism(Hunt and Eisenberg, 2010, p.6).
Minorities are at an elevated risk for mental health issues. According to African
American College Students: Literacy of Depression and Help Seeking by Stansbury, Wimsatt,
Simpson, Martin, & Nelson (2011) African Americans were found to have a higher risk of having
mental health problems due to factors such as the effects of racism and low social
support. Furthermore, Stansbury et al also states that only 16% of African Americans will seek
treatment for their mental health issues. Some cultures put more value on factors that affect
mental health. For example, in Family or Friends: Who Plays Greater Supportive Role for Latino
College Students, Rodriguez, Mira, Myers, Morris, and Cardoza (2003) state that familismis an
important factor in mental health in the Latino population. The Latino population is more likely
to turn to family for support rather than friends. They also have different stressors in school
such as language barriers cultural incompatibilities, and cultural self-consciousness (p. 3).
Self-esteem and a sense of identity are factors that contribute to the overall mental
health of college students according to The Roles of Identity Formation and Moral Identity in
College Student Mental Health, Health-Risk Behaviors, and Psychological Well-Being by Hardy,
Francis, Zamboanga, Kim, Anderson, and Forthun (2013). Hardy et al. states that, “individuals
with high commitment and identity synthesis were lower on symptoms of anxiety and
depression and lower levels of hazardous alcohol use, while being higher on self-esteemand
meaning” (p. 377). Having a moral identity is predictive of lower anxiety, depression, alcohol
use, sexual risk taking, self-esteem, and meaning (p. 365).

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The relationships and social support college students have in their lives affect their
mental health. Merianos et al. state that when a student has a problem they turn to a trusted
individual as opposed to a professional (p. 28). Furthermore, having familial social support
played a bigger role in mental health as opposed to friends and significant others (p.
31). Loneliness plays a factor in mental health as well. According to Friends and Family Support
as Moderators of the Effects of Low Romantic Partner Support on Loneliness Among College
Women by Eshbaugh (2010) "women with high significant other support, those with higher
friend support, were significantly less lonely than those with low friend support” (p. 13-
14). Eshbaugh goes on to say that 71% of 18-24 year olds indicate they feel lonely sometimes
(p. 8).
Although there are varying factors that contribute to poor mental health in college
students, there are also solutions for improving the mental health of college students. In The
Impact of Self-Esteem and Social Support on College Students’ Mental Health, Merianos et al.
(2013) state that “students acquire academic and mental health benefits including higher
coping skills and college retention when parental support and campus support services are
widely available”. O’Keeffe (2013) mentions several ways to improve student retention, such as
creating a caring environment, positive and meaningful interactions between faculty and
students, and having well-resourced campus-based counseling services (p. 609). Bovier,
Chamot, and Perneger (2004) mentions in Perceived Stress, Internal Resources and Social
Support as Determinants of Mental Health Among Young Adults that having personal resources
such a support system may enable individuals to respond in a positive manner to external
stressors, and that knowing coping mechanisms can reduce stress level (p. 4).

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2 x 2 Prioritization
Matrix
More important Less important
More changeable
-Connection with upperclassmen
-Physical activity to reduce stress
-Knowledge about campus resources
that improve mental health
-Using social network
sites (social support)
Less changeable
-Sleep quality
-Positive thoughts about one’s self
-Seeking treatment for mental health
-Family social support
-App stress relief- keep
calm
-Mixer
-Forgive yourself
After completing our needs assessment and literature review, we chose to focus mainly
on stress reduction with the more important and most changeable factors: connection with
upperclassmen, encouragement within one’s self, physical activity and knowledge about
campus resources. In the article The Impact of Self-Esteem and Social Support on College
Students’ Mental Health (2013), it was found that higher retention rates stem from factors such
as widely available campus resources. We felt that it was more important and more changeable
to inform freshmen about knowledge of campus resources such as the location of mental
health services and places where they can get help with their school work. We also felt that it is

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important for them to see upperclassmen as a campus resource because of their experience at
the institution and the knowledge about the campus and a university setting in general. Our
group noticed the importance of teaching freshmen about physical activity such yoga, which
helps to decrease stress levels.

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Educational Diagnosis
After conducting our literature review, we identified many factors that hinder college
students from addressing mental health issues. We found that predisposing factors and
reinforcing factors were the main concerns for our target population. Enabling factors were not
a big concern because of all the resources available within SIUE’s tuition and fees.
Predisposing factors:
 Our population may not have a positive attitude towards mental health, therefore they
do not think it is important.
 They also may not have knowledge of mental health. Many college students may not
know effective ways to reduce stress or have knowledge of the resources available to
them on campus.
 College students may not place value on mental health. They can consider other things,
such as physical health, school work, and employment more important than addressing
their mental health issues.
 Many students do not have the belief that mental health is something that needs to be
addressed.
 Some students may also not know that they even need help or think that there is no
way to change their mental health status.
Enabling Factors:
 Counseling services and health services are two resources available to all students on
SIUE campus.

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 Counseling services and health services are also affordable because it is included in all
students' tuition.
 Many college students do not have the skills to effectively manage their mental health
issues.
 College students may not have the time to address mental health issues due to school
work, employment, family responsibilities, and social life.
 There are several facilities available to students to reduce stress, such as the Student
Success Center for studying and the Student Fitness Center to exercise.
 All traditional freshmen are required to live in the dorms. Because of this, relationships
with roommates may become a stressor.
Reinforcing Factors:
 Not having peers who students feel like they can relate to causes them to be lonely
which decreases their mental health.
 Having a strong family support systemhas been shown to increase mental health.
 Having health care workers that are open and are comfortable to be around, will make
students more willing to come to them.
 In the media, there is a negative stigma attached to mental health.
 When students participant in stress reduction activities they may feel better about
themselves.

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Program Goals, Objectives, and Activities
Goal 1: Reduce stress levels among the freshmen residents of SIUE's Woodland Hall.
Objective 1a: At the conclusion of Walk with a Senior, 50% of participants will correctly identify
three effective stress reduction techniques.
Intervention: During Walk with a Senior, participants will learn multiple stress reduction
techniques to reduce stress, including physical fitness, academic advice, and counseling.
Theory and construct: Social Cognitive Model - Behavioral Capability
Measured by: Pre and post test that measures if they can correctly identify three strategies to
reduce their stress levels. Question: List three techniques you learned today to relieve stress.
Objective 1b: At the conclusion of Walk with a Senior, 85% of participants will indicate that they
are likely or very likely to use the stress relief techniques that we taught them in the future.
Intervention: During Walk with a Senior, seniors will discuss with participants the resources
available to them on campus to reduce stress, including the Fitness Center, Counseling Services,
and 24/7 area to study in the Student Success Center.
Theory and construct: Social Cognitive Theory - Self-efficacy
Measured by: Post-test question that identifies if they will use the stress reduction techniques
in the future. Question: How likely are you to use the techniques you learned today to relieve
stress in the future?

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Objective 1c: At the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, 100% of participants will be
able to demonstrate three different yoga poses.
Intervention: During Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, at the same time participants will learn
different yoga poses from instructor and demonstrate the poses themselves.
Theory and construct: Social Cognitive Theory - Behavioral Capability
Measured by: Participants engaging in the yoga poses, observed by program planners
Objective 1d: By October 27, 2014, Woodland planning team will go to different resources on
campus and get pamphlets to distribute to participants.
Intervention: Woodland planning team will learn of the many different resources located on
campus
Theory and construct: Social Cognitive Theory – Self-efficacy
Measured by: number of pamphlets taken from Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt event
Objective 1e: At the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, 70% of participants will be
able to list at least one of the days and times for yoga taught at SIUE fitness center.
Intervention: During Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, group members will announce multiple
times to participants the times and days of yoga taught at SIUE fitness center. Participants will
also receive a handout of the days and times of yoga taught at SIUE fitness center (see
Appendix D).
Theory and construct: Social Cognitive - Self-efficacy

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Measured by: Participants correctly answering post-test question. Question: What day and time
is yoga taught at SIUE fitness center?”
Objective 1f: At the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, 90% of participants will report
a decrease in their stress level.
Intervention: During Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, participants will participate in yoga and
engage in a group discussion to help reduce stress.
Theory and construct: Social Cognitive Theory - Behavioral Capability
Measured by: Participants reporting their stress level decreasing from their pre-test to their
post-test.
Objective 1g: At the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, 80% of participants will be
likely or very likely to continue doing yoga as a stress relief technique in the future.
Intervention: Showing participants how to do yoga poses and when yoga is taught at the SIUE
fitness center
Theory and Construct: Social Cognitive Theory - Self-efficacy
Measured by: Participants reporting that they will be likely or very likely to continue doing yoga
as a stress relief technique in the future in the post-test.
Goal 2: Advertise for the events Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt and Walk with a Senior.

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Objective 2a: By October 27, 2014, the Woodland team will have 75 flyers and 2 posters posted
in Woodland Hall to promote the event Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt in the MFR.
Measured by: 75 flyers printed and 2 posters hung up that will be tracked by planners
Objective 2b: By October 27 2014, the Woodland team will have an advertisement for the
Social Media Group to post on their multiple social media sites for the event Unwind with Yoga
and Yogurt.
Measured by: Group members tracking when their advertisements for Unwind with Yoga and
Yogurt were posted on multiple social media sites.
Objective 2c: By October 27 2014, the Woodland team will have flyers and posters posted in
Woodland Hall to promote the event Walk with a Senior.
Measures by: 1 poster posted and 50 flyers printed for Walk with a Senior
Objective 2d: By October 27 2014, the Woodland team will have an advertisement for the
Social Media Group to post on their multiple social media sites for the event Walk with a
Senior.
Measured by: Group members tracking when their advertisements for Walk with a Senior were
posted on multiple social media sites
Objective 2e: The Woodland team planners will recruit the day of 11/6 from 12:30-2:00 in the
lobby to recruit freshmen to come on a Walk with a Senior.

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Measured by: Number of participants who attend the event

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Administrative and Policy Diagnosis
Various societies and organizations have been founded and are in existence with the
sole purpose of addressing mental health issues among college students. The Jed Foundation is
an organization founded 12 years ago with the mission of “promoting emotional health and
preventing suicide.” On their website, they cite themselves as being “the leader in protecting
the emotional health of America’s 20 million college students.” They have created a Campus
Program Framework that has suggestions of things campuses can do to address mental
health. In their framework, they stress the importance of campuses having programs to
address mental health issues. Having a health policy, such as health insurance being available
to all full time students is important as well. Campuses also need to have programs to develop
life skills such as budgeting or relationship advice. Connectedness is also crucial for college
student mental health. The Jed Foundation suggests making sure that there are programs on
campus that encourage connectedness for all students. They suggest having programs that
encourage efficient study skills. Having time management classes or access to a gym for all
students can help improve mental health as well. Students also need to have the medical
resources available to address their mental health problems. Increasing awareness on
campuses will make students more likely to seek help. Students will benefit more if campuses
limit access to means of harm to decrease self-destructing behavior.
The Jed Foundation has also started a website called ULifeline, an online resource where
you can “learn about your thoughts and feelings, and to reach out for help if necessary.” The
State of California has an organization called CalMHSA (California Mental Health Services
Authority). They have a Student Mental Health Initiative for students in California from K-12

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that addresses mental health and has programs for the elementary schools, high schools and
college campuses that are involved. The website for the college programs highlights resources
available for students to seek help. There is an at risk suicide prevention online training
resource for anyone that is interested in training to be aware of individuals that may be at risk
for suicide. There are also archived webinars with varying topics that address mental health as
well as slides to accompany the videos. Some of the topics include being an ally to LGBTQIA
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, intersexed, and asexual) students as well as
strategies for assessing student mental health needs. Screening for Mental Health (SMH) is a
Boston based organization with the mission of screening individuals for depression as well as
raising awareness about treatment and resources. SMH has a college based program that
provides “education and screening programs that empower college students to take charge of
their mental health.” The components of the program are split up by screenings and education,
promotions and support, and privacy and liability. Through SMH, colleges are able to screen
students for depression through a screening day event on campus. They can also put students
in touch with quality treatment options on campus with the on-hand clinician at the screening
day event. In order to protect the anonymity of the students, online screenings are also
available to assess and provide resources to treat mental health issues in college students.
In addition to organizations that are involved with addressing mental health and college
students, there are also programs that have been launched within colleges and universities to
meet the needs of the college students on their particular campus. The University of Illinois -
Chicago (UIC) has a webpage that directly addresses mental health and college students. This
page, in the form of a PDF, highlights the definition of stress, causes of stress for college

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students, and stress management strategies. UIC also has a wellness center that offers
suggestions and services for other forms of health that may be affected by mental health
(emotional health, physical health etc.). There are also college campuses that hold a “Mental
Health Awareness Week” to inform students, faculty and staff about mental health issues as
well as resources that they can use to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Buffalo State
University, Kishwaukee College, California Community Colleges (CCC), Cuesta College, Michigan
State University and Washington College are among the colleges and universities that have a
Mental Health Awareness Week for their college community. During these Mental Health
Awareness Weeks, issues such as stress, anxiety, suicide, and sexual assault are addressed
through various events held on campus. Michigan State held Yoga at the Rock, Alcohol
Screening Events, and Days of Service during their week. Cuesta College kicked of mental health
awareness week with a Mental Health Wellness Fair with mental health agencies advertising
their services. Washington College had a PostSecret Wall where students could vent and share
secrets that they would not be comfortable sharing with family or friends. They also held a
depression screening on campus. Buffalo State held a “Meet the Counselors” event as well as
bringing Therapy Dogs on campus for the students to enjoy. They also held sexual health events
on campus to promote peace of mind through promotion of awareness of sexual health.
Based on the sources found, the best practices for mental health and college students
involve acknowledgement, diagnosis, treatment and support. Campaigns such as ULifeline,
started by the Jed Foundation, promote a support systemfor the students dealing with issues
from mental health. Programs such as SMH in Boston are heavily focused on promotion of
screening college students for depression. ACHA’s surveys also suggests increasing mental

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health screenings. The willingness to receive a screening for depression is where
acknowledgement of mental health sources begins. From the screenings there will be more
diagnoses and further treatment of depression and other mental health issues.

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Lesson Plan: Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt
 Set up: All group members will meet in Woodland to set up in the MFR from 12:30-
1:45p.m. We will set up all the tables and chairs needed for the event. We will also
bring the prizes for the freshmen as well as the six free yoga mats we are going to give
away. At 5 p.m. all group members will meet to set up the yoga and dishware needed
for the event, as well as advertise in the lobby for the event.
 Introduction: At 6:10 p.m. group members will introduce ourselves as seniors in the
Community Health Education program and what our program is for. Group members
will have a sign-up sheet for the first six people who arrive. Those six people will receive
free yoga mats after the program is over. At 6: 15 p.m. all participants will receive a pre-
test (see Appendix F) to complete at the beginning of the program.
 At 6:20 p.m. Sadé and Nicole will beginning with an ice breaker activity that will help
participants relate stress levels with celebrities and some common people.
 Yoga will be from 6:30-7:00 p.m. with SIUE Campus Recreation’s yoga instructor Kirstie
Chase instructing.
 7-7:30 p.m.: After yoga is completed, participants will be encouraged by group members
to eat yogurt and participate in a group chat about stress and stress reduction things.
They will also fill out the post-test (see appendix). Students who participate will receive
the prizes such as eye masks, ear buds, and lavender scented air fresheners. Some of
the questions that we will ask are: What are some common stressors in your life? How
do you normally relieve stress or do you? Do you know of resources on campus to help
you in stress relief? We will also discuss with them healthy ways to reduce stress. Some

31
healthy stress relief techniques we will talk about are keeping up with schoolwork,
getting involved on campus, keeping healthy relationships, taking advantage of campus
resources, talking to a trusted person in your life or professional, doing meditation, and
exercising.
 7:30-8 p.m.: Clean-up after the event
Lesson Plan: Walk with a Senior
 Group members will meet in the lobby of Woodland Hall at 12:00 p.m. on 11/6 to set up
hot chocolate and begin recruiting students. The walks will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end
at 2 p.m.
 The team members will provide students with a pre-test asking students to list three
techniques they use to relieve stress. Teammembers will also provide hot chocolate
before walk begins to the students.
 Group members will split up in sets of two and take students for a planned walk where
they are able to ask questions and get advice from seniors. The walk will start at
Woodland and continue all the way around Engineer Building and end back at
Woodland Hall.
 During the walk, the team members will talk about the different resources offered on
campus, such as the career development center, health services, disability services,
tutoring, group fitness classes, and many more free resources. Team members will
encourage the freshmen to ask questions and will provide them with all the information
and resources they need to help them reduce their stress level.

32
 At the end of the walk the team members will hand out pamphlets from different
resources on campus that the team members previously collected.
 To end the program a post test will be given to the students. The post test will consist of
two questions: 1. List three techniques that you have learned today that will help you
reduce stress. (We will cover physical activity, talking with a trusted person, and
academic tips) 2. How likely are you to use these techniques to relieve stress in the
future?

33
38.62
100.00
5.46
38.62
Donated
Donated
79.61
20.00
Free
Donated
Donated
144.08
118.23
143.69
0.39
5.46
Budget
Revenue and Support
Contribution from team ____________________
Donation from Campus Partner ____________________
KHE Funds ____________________
Total Income ___________________
Expenditures
Direct Costs
Personnel
Salary & Wages ____________________
Supplies
Instructional materials _____________________
Incentives _____________________
Food _____________________
Binding _____________________
Meeting Cost _____________________
Equipment _____________________
Sales Tax _____________________
Advertising _____________________
Total of direct costs __________________
Total expenditures __________________
Balance______________

34
Process Evaluation
Justification Kathleen Gardner approved the program Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt for
the MFR in Woodland Hall. The needs assessment showed that stress
reduction techniques are needed in college freshmen.
Evidence The research conducted in our literature review showed that stress is a
common issue among college freshmen. While planning we used the social
cognitive theory.
Capacity All group members will have completed the CITI program, which allows
group members to work with the given population. The group members
have also been trained in program planning and implementation. Materials
that the group uses will be looked over and approved by Dr. Klein.
Resources The resources used were free pamphlets from sources on campus, funds
from our campus partner for food, and also the Health Education
department supported us with funds we used for prizes and give a ways.
Consumer
Orientation
The information taken from the literature review was tailored to the
subject of mental health and college students.
The readability of pamphlets was at a level that college freshman students
would be able to easily understand.

35
Multiplicity There are varying learning strategies that are included in our
implementation. Stress reduction, physical fitness, and nutrition are all
taught in multiple ways throughout the implementation. Walk with a
Senior as well as Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt are contributing to the
fitness aspect of our implementation. Stress reduction will be taught
through the topics covered in Walk with a Senior as well as Unwind with
Yoga and Yogurt.
Support Pamphlets, flyers, handouts with website sources will be distributed to help
with the continuation of healthy stress reduction techniques after the
program is completed.
Inclusion The college setting ensures that all students in the target population
(freshmen students in Woodland Hall) will be reached by the program. Dr.
Klein assisted with the idea for our program that will keep the interest of
the target population.
Accountability All team members communicate effectively in weekly group meetings and
through group text messages to discuss work that needs to be done and to
review completed work. Our community partner tries to stay in constant
contact with us and is willing to help with food purchases and supplies for
advertisement. All group members use CATME to provide feedback to Dr.
Klein and each other.

36
Adjustment In the beginning, our program featured a component that would focus on
time management as a way to reduce stress. After meeting with Dr. Klein,
an active participant in our program, we decided to remove the time
management aspect of our implementation.
Recruitment Our recruitment efforts for the students of Woodland Hall have included
advertisements in their dorm as well as the initial needs assessment being
advertised in their dorms. Through our work with the Community Director
of Woodland Hall as well as the Assistant Community Director have
ensured that the students of Woodland Hall are contacted and informed
about this event.
Reach The reach of the program is extensive because it will be held in the living
facilities of the target population.
Response Our expectation is that all students who come to our implementation will
participate in the program.
Interaction We will speak respectively, clearly, professionally, and in a way that our
freshmen population can relate and understand the information.
Satisfaction Our post-test will measure the stress reduction techniques in the
program. It will also measure if participants plan on continuing using the
stress reduction techniques learned.

37
Impact Evaluation
The instruments used for evaluating the results of our program were pre and post-tests.
We gave the pre-tests to participants before starting the program. Then after the program was
over, we gave participants post-tests to see if we had met our objectives for the program. At
the completion of both Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt and Walk with a Senior, we found that all
of our objectives had been met. Below are examples of how each of our objectives were met.
Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt
Objective: At the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, 100% of participants will be able
to demonstrate three different yoga poses.
Evidence: While participants were engaging in yoga, group members observed that all of the
participants demonstrated more than three different yoga poses.
Objective: 70% of participants will be able to list at least one of the days and times for yoga
taught at SIUE fitness center.
Evidence: At the conclusion of our program, we found that 90% of participants were able to list
at least one of the days and times for yoga taught at SIUE fitness center. We assessed this by
the post-test question: What day and time is yoga taught at the fitness center? In our pre-test,
we asked the same question and none of the participants were able to list any days and times
that yoga was taught at the fitness center.

38
Objective: At the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, 90% of participants will report a
decrease in their stress level.
Evidence: At the completion of our program, we found that 100% of participants reported a
decrease in their stress level compared to pre-test stress levels. We assessed this by the pre-
test question ‘What is your stress level currently? 1 being not stressed at all and 10 very
stressed? Circle one.’ then following up with a post-test question ‘After participating in yoga,
what is your current stress level?’ after the program was over.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Pre-test Post-test
#ofParticipants
Correctly identified one day and time yoga is
taught at SIUEFitness Center

39
Walk with a Senior
Objective: 50% of participants will correctly identify three effective stress reduction
techniques. Evidence: We found after our program that 70% of participants were able to
correctly identify three stress reduction techniques. We measured this by the post-test
question ‘1. List three techniques you learned today to relieve stress. Before our program, we
found that 33% of participants were able to correctly identify three stress reduction techniques.

40
Objective: 85% of participants will indicate that they are likely or very likely to use the stress
relief techniques that we taught them in the future.
Evidence: We found that after our program that 90% of participants would be likely or very
likely to use the stress relief techniques that we taught them in the future. We measured this
by the post-test question ‘How likely are you to use the techniques you learned today to relieve
stress in the future?’
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Pre-test Post-test
#ofParticipants
Correctly identified three effectivestress
reduction techniques

41
Outcome Evaluation
Hypothetically, if our group had more time we would follow the participants in our
program until the end of the current school year to see if they continued to use the stress
reduction techniques or see if they slipped back into unhealthy stress reduction techniques.
Many of the participants may have originally planned to follow through with the healthy stress
reduction techniques, but could have slipped back into their old habits. We could also further
extend our research and follow them five or ten years down the road to see what kind of stress
reduction techniques they were using at that point in their life compared to their college years.
We would ask them questions about their current stressors at that point in their life and why or
why or not did they stop doing yoga as a stress relief technique.

42
Discussion of Project
Purpose
The main purpose of our two programs were to reduce stress levels among the
residents of Woodland Hall by planning and implementing two programs called Unwind with
Yoga and Yogurt and Walk with a Senior. Overall, these two programs were a success. Not only
did we meet all of our objectives, but we also felt like the participants gained knowledge about
various ways to deal with stress. This is supported by the results from the pre and post-tests
that showed an increase in knowledge gained and likelihood of behavior change.
Findings
As stated in Objective 1a, after the Walk with a Senior program, 50% of participants will
correctly identify three effective stress reduction techniques. After the results were calculated,
we found that 70% of participants were able to correctly identify three stress reduction
techniques. We felt the reason we met this objective was because we were able to be in a more
relaxed and comfortable setting with the participants. Due to the weather, we were not able to
actually go on a walk with the participants. Instead, the participants were able to chat with us
for ten minutes on a comfy couch while enjoying their hot chocolate. It made the conversation
feel like it was happening in their own make-shift living room. This allowed the conversation to
be more personable and allowed the participants to open up to us about the strategies they
currently use to relieve stress and why or why not they may not be effective. The weather did
not affect us meeting this objective, however, we do feel it influenced how many participants
had time to chat with us yin a positive way.

43
Objective 1b stated that at the end of Walk with a Senior, 85% of participants will
indicate that they are likely or very likely to use the stress relief techniques that we taught them
in the future. After the results were calculated, we found that 90% of the participants were able
to correctly identify three of the five stress reduction techniques. We believed as a group we
would be able to successfully teach them five stress reduction techniques that they would use
in their future. During Walk with a Senior, we used our skills acquired from health counseling in
order to speak with the students about their experiences and get a sense of their stress levels.
Open-ended questions as well as encouragers and summaries were used for the purpose of
listening to participants discuss the stress in their lives. Closed ended questions and veiled
advice were used to assess their knowledge as well as give knowledge about resources available
on SIUE’s campus. These techniques may have created an environment of comfort for the
students because it presented Woodland freshmen with an opportunity to speak about stress
in their lives, have someone listen and offer services to help alleviate these stressful situations
or circumstances without giving them unsolicited advice.
As stated in objective 1c, we found that 100% of the students performed three yoga
poses at the direction of the yoga instructor. We did not have an official pre-test for this
particular objective. However, on our pre-test, we asked participants whether or not they have
ever participated in yoga before. This may not be an indicator of knowledge of yoga poses, but
it gives us an idea of which participants may or may not have tried them. We believe that the
success of this objective was due to two factors: our personal participation in yoga and
participant’s interactions with each other. As opposed to observing the freshmen from the back
of the room, we participated in yoga as well. Each group member observed each participant

44
demonstrate the poses that the instructor mentioned. Before Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt
began, the students had an opportunity to sit and get to know each other before starting yoga.
This may have led to a more relaxed atmosphere among individuals.
As stated in objective 1d, by October 27, 2014, Woodland planning team will go to
different resources on campus and get pamphlets to distribute to participants. Our results
concluded that we met this objective by 100% because all pamphlets were given to the
participants. The way we measured this objective was by placing 20 pamphlets on the tables at
both implementations and counting how many were left at the conclusion of both programs.
Even though we only had 18 participants between our two implementations, all 20 of our
pamphlets were taken. We had two students who asked if they could take an extra pamphlet
for their roommates. The students told us that they appreciated the information we provided
them and wanted to share the information with their roommates. However, it is possible that
maybe one of the reasons we met this objective was because of social desirability bias. We felt
that the participants were probably scared to tell us no and felt like they had to take our
pamphlets we provided to them at the implementations.
As stated in objective 1e, at the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, 70% of
participants will be able to list at least one of the days and times for yoga taught at SIUE fitness
center. After the results were calculated we found that 90% of participants were able to list at
least one of the days and times that yoga is taught at SIUE fitness center. We feel that this
objective was met because we put emphasis on these times and days throughout the Unwind
with Yoga and Yogurt program. We had the instructor tell the participants when she taught
yoga at the beginning of the session and after yoga was complete. Also another reason we felt

45
that we met this objective was due to the different handouts that were made available to
them.
Objective 1f stated that 90% of participants will report a decrease in their stress level at
the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt. 100% of participants reported a decrease in
stress. On a scale of 1 to 10, the average stress levels reported upon arriving to Woodland’s
Multi-Function Room were 4 and 10. At the conclusion of Unwind with Yoga and Yogurt, the
average stress levels reported were 2, 4, & 6. We believe that this particular objective was
successful because of the atmosphere of relaxation that we created in Woodland’s Multi-
Function Room. We played sounds of the ocean on a stereo as well as used a scent machine to
spread the scent of lavender throughout the room. The activity of yoga was also used as a
stress relief technique.

46
Recommendations
For Future 490/491 Students:
 Have an open communication with your group members and be open to criticismfrom
members within your group. Know that it's normal for conflicts to arise while working in
a group, but by being able to openly communicate many issues can be resolved. For
example if one of your team members does not seem to be carrying their weight in the
project, find a non-offensive way to make that group member aware of the problem
early in advance so the issue can get resolved quickly.
 It is important to understand that things will not always go as planned within your
program, being able to improvise and be flexible is important when implementing your
program. In one of our programs, we had originally planned on going on a walk outside
with our participants. However due to the cold weather we were not able to go on the
walk. We did not let it discourage us though. We found a different way to implement
our program by deciding to have a 10 minute chat with the participants.
 When writing your needs assessment try to be as specific as possible to ensure that your
program is addressing the needs of your target population. For example, we made the
mistake of not seeing our needs assessment before it was printed out due to our
campus partner providing free printing. We had technical issues with the survey like the
space for participants to fill in the blank looked like page breaks. This could have been
prevented if we had checked over the survey before we had it printed out.

47
For Future Groups Working With This Population:
 Try to provide incentives such as food or prizes. We found for this population that was
the best method to get participants active for our program. We did not use unhealthy
means to get students to attend our program. We used things that would enhance our
program such as healthy food like yogurt and fruit and yoga mats that would encourage
them to do yoga even after our program was over.
 Being able to relate to your population is important. It allows them to feel comfortable
and able to open up more easily. We chatted openly with our participants before our
program started. We shared our own experiences when we were freshmen ourselves. It
made it seem to the freshmen that we were more on their level and not an authority
figure.

48
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O'Keefe, P. (2013). A Sense of Belonging: Improving Student Retention. College Student Journal,
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