Abstract
University students uniquely face high levels of mental health challenges and low rates of help-seeking, issues that have been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond mental health symptoms, indices of quality of life, such as psychological flexibility and flourishing, are also important outcomes to consider. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers important therapeutic strategies to support student mental health given its transdiagnostic and contextual nature. In this two part thesis, Study 1 included a cross-sectional survey completed by N=178 undergraduate students to assess their experiences of mental health and well-being during COVID, and to unite mental health, psychological flexibility, and quality of life outcomes in a more streamlined and process-based manner. Study 2 implemented a brief ACT intervention embedded in a freshmen seminar through a small scale, randomized controlled trial, with the scales developed from Study 1 as outcomes (positive and negative mental health). Students reported decreased mental health and well-being since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-one students agreed to participate in Study 2 data collection components of this classroom-based intervention. The intervention generally had low participation in study assessments leading to less power, although use of linear mixed effects models was still possible. For positive mental health, the time x group interaction was significant, with medium effect sizes in followup t-tests, although the t-tests were non significant. The negative mental health model had clinically expected changes and small effect sizes, but non significant results. Qualitative results demonstrated skills practice and implementation. Results echo findings from Study 1 and extant literature, indicating a decline in student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistical modeling results streamline related but distinct outcomes and link together mindlessness and mindfulness, all novel additions to the literature that indicate a need for future research on links between well-being and mental health, and process-based therapy. While the Study 2 intervention was well-received and students reported practicing skills they learned, no firm conclusions can be drawn given the small sample. Future work should continue modeling how mindfulness and mindlessness, mental health, and well-being link together, potentially utilizing network modeling techniques. Future brief ACT interventions should build assessments into class time to make intervention participation more palatable for students. This project has implications for well-being research, university student mental health, and use of brief ACT interventions for young adults and university settings. Keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Stigma, University Students, Quality of Life.