Long Island University

Innovation Grant Award
Funding will be provided to expand Long Island University’s (LIU) current initiative and to expand and evaluate the “Mindfulness Meditation for Anxiety and Test Readiness” (MIND/MATR) component of the program.

Overview
This project uses academic anxiety screening as a means to assess broader psychopathology in undergraduate students in order to diagnose, refer, and offer treatment to those whose psychiatric problems might otherwise go unidentified or insufficiently treated.  Initially designed to increase student retention by targeting students at risk for academic failure, this program was expanded to include first-year and nursing students when it became apparent that the screening identified students with more extensive and complicated psychopathology. Nearly 20% of students who complete the screening, are found through clinical interview to meet the criteria for at least one diagnosable anxiety or mood disorder.  However, nearly ¾ of these students report no prior history of psychiatric evaluation or treatment. In addition, students report that being screened for academic or test anxiety is less stigmatizing and more acceptable than overt mental health screening.

Program Activities

Screening
First year students enrolled in the university’s Orientation Seminar course take part in a voluntary, online screening program that screens for academic anxiety, other psychopathology, and various cognitive vulnerability risk variables. Approximately 66% of eligible students participate in this voluntary screening program. Following the online screening, students whose results suggest potential mood or anxiety disorders (50%) are referred for further assessment, and almost 90% actually follow-up.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Referred students are evaluated through self-report inventories (including the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) and by doctoral students in the clinical psychology program who administer the ADIS-IV (to be replaced by the SCID-IV this fall), a semi-structured clinical interview designed to diagnose current or lifetime anxiety or mood disorders. All students who are diagnosed with test anxiety and/or another disorder in the clinical interview are referred for an 8-session on-campus mindfulness meditation-based intervention:  MIND/MATR.  In addition, students who request inclusion in MIND/MATR, regardless of diagnostic standing, may participate.  A positive diagnosis for an anxiety or mood disorder also leads to a referral to appropriate on-campus or community providers.

Evaluation Plan
Participants taking part in MIND/MATR report decreased anxiety around testing situations and generally greater comfort in stressful situations.  The formal evaluation will use brief research interviews at multiple time points to compare results from a sample of students with academic anxiety and co-morbid psychopathology that participate in MIND/MATR with those employing standard relaxation and academic study techniques.

Contact Information
Please contact Dr. David R. Castro-Blanco for additional program details.