Penn State - Altoona

Innovation Grant Award
Funding will be provided toward both the evaluation and expansion of the PATH program.

Overview
PATH (Program to Assess and Transform Health) originated at Penn State – Altoona to address the holistic health and wellness needs of college students. Initially developed as a harm reduction intervention for violators of the campus alcohol policy, the PATH program was discovered to be of great value in identifying students who either have or were at risk for having mental health problems.  For example, in 2006-2007, close to 30% of those completing the program indicated that they were often depressed most of the day; in addition, 24% indicated hopelessness and 8% endorsed suicidal ideation.  Moreover, 72% of those who indicated suicidal ideation also showed moderate to severe high-risk alcohol use.  Each segment of PATH was piloted with and evaluated by students and subsequently streamlined and adapted to improve the overall program. The expansion of PATH will target first year students, Greek organizations, athletes, as well as members of other student groups.

Program Activities
Students participating in PATH complete the following program components.

Web-based assessment: Students complete a 20-minute on-line assessment that asks about alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use; sexual health, relationships, and assault; body image, nutrition, and exercise; and emotional health, including signs of depression or anxiety and thoughts of suicide.

Personalized Feedback: Participants receive a report, outlining their current health practices, norming information, protective behaviors, their placement on the readiness-to-change continuum, and other pertinent information.   

Small Group Intervention: Utilizing a cognitive behavioral approach and motivational interviewing techniques, students receive feedback based upon their self-reported behaviors within a small group setting.  A facilitator leads a review of the personalized feedback reports which are supported by materials contained within the PATH workbook and intended to coincide with and complement the report. During this time, participants have the opportunity to set goals around changing unhealthy behaviors. The duration of the intervention can vary widely depending on the student's desired goals and outcomes. Those students exhibiting suicidal ideation, moderate to severe depressive symptoms, or functional limitations due to anxiety are offered individual counseling sessions.  Program staff keeps track of students who engage in counseling and those who do not.  There is additional follow-up with students who may be at risk for suicide.

Evaluation Plan
Students complete a survey at the end of the program, as well as a web-based follow-up survey approximately six weeks post-intervention. The initial survey captures general perceptions regarding effectiveness of the program, the student’s current stage of change (level of motivation), current beliefs regarding identified health-related norms, and satisfaction with program methods and content.  The follow-up survey assesses their progress on achieving their goals as a measure of program effectiveness.  Based on evaluation data from follow-up surveys, 86% of participants reported that their alcohol use had significantly decreased, and 57% had implemented strategies to improve their emotional health.

As part of the expanded program, aggregate data will be gathered and analyzed for both specific groups (e.g., Greeks) and the entire cohort of students participating in PATH at any given time.  Future evaluation will compare groups for additional high-risk indicators based on each section of the PATH program, including high-risk alcohol use, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.

Contact Information
Please contact Dr. Joy Himmel for additional program details.