Wellness Initiative at New York University
| Status: | Enrolling by invitation |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Healthy Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Other |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 1/31/2019 |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2017 |
| End Date: | May 30, 2021 |
The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect on first-year college students of
participation in a 14-week seminar course and residential housing wellness activities.
participation in a 14-week seminar course and residential housing wellness activities.
WIN has been designed to enhance student wellness and personal success during college and
after graduation from New York University. The program is grounded in the current
understanding of adolescent and young adult development, neuroscience, and positive
psychology and aims to increase resilience within students by building knowledge and skills
in key areas proven to enhance wellness, including communication, executive functioning,
social support, cognitive behavioral techniques, stress management, emotion regulation, and
sense of purpose. WIN will achieve these aims by teaching this knowledge and skills to
students in a class ("Risk and Resilience") and via participation in various activities
within a residential Living and Learning Community. Students will not only receive training
and support in establishing healthy exercise, nutrition, and sleep habits, students will also
be taught core components of cognitive-behavior therapy, mindfulness, and organizational
skills training.
In tandem with the implementation of WIN,the effectiveness of the program will be evaluated.
A research study will offer benefits: first, it will provide the college with data for future
estimations of student interest to assist in further expanding the scope of wellness; and
second, it will provide the Child Study Center at NYU with the opportunity to explore the
impact of teaching resilience skills to first-year college students and to modify, if
appropriate course content to improve effectiveness.
A longitudinal study at NYU beginning in Fall of 2017 of 175 first-year students, who are
randomly assigned to one of three conditions after consenting to participate in the research.
200 participants will be recruited during Spring and Summer of 2017 from the incoming
first-year students who will begin classes in Fall 2017. It is anticipated that of the 200
enrolled via electronic assent prior to the beginning of the fall 2017 semester, some may not
attend NYU and some may rethink the decision to participate and then not follow up with
providing informed consent. As such, there will be over-enrolling via preliminary electronic
assent so that the following enrollment can be achieved:
175 students will be assigned randomly into one of three conditions:
- 50 students to Condition 1 (enrolled in the Risk and Resilience course during Fall 2017
and directly encouraged to participate in the Founders Living and Learning Community
wellness activities for the Fall of 2017)
- 75 students to Condition 2 (waitlisted to be enrolled in the Rick and Resilience course
until Spring 2018, and not directly encouraged to participate in the WIN Living and
Learning Community wellness activities)
- 50 students to Condition 3 (a control group that receives none of the interventions
during the first year). This group will instead receive an online pamphlet that contains
a number of wellness tips and advice for first-year students. Participants have access
to the WIN Living and Learning Community wellness activities in Fall of 2017 and Spring
of 2018, but are not directly encouraged to participate.
The progress of these 175 students will be measured at frequent intervals throughout the
first and subsequent years at college, beginning with a baseline assessment battery once
participants provide written informed consent in Fall of 2017, followed by a second survey in
Winter 2018, another survey at the end of the academic year (May 2018), and then annually
thereafter. In addition to collecting demographic factors (age, gender, race, ethnicity, and
relationship status), the study will utilize empirically-based measures that will be
self-reported by the students, using an online survey tool. These measures will capture a
series of attributes that have been demonstrated as being important factors in psychological
well-being, including:
- Perceived stress
- Depressive symptoms
- Anxiety symptoms
- Dysfunctional attitudes
- Risk behaviors (smoking, sexual activity, alcohol and drug usage, etc.)
- Coping skills
- Interpersonal communication
- Use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques
- Health behaviors (exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.)
Additional data will be collected to measure academic achievement, such as grade-point
average and persistence in college.
after graduation from New York University. The program is grounded in the current
understanding of adolescent and young adult development, neuroscience, and positive
psychology and aims to increase resilience within students by building knowledge and skills
in key areas proven to enhance wellness, including communication, executive functioning,
social support, cognitive behavioral techniques, stress management, emotion regulation, and
sense of purpose. WIN will achieve these aims by teaching this knowledge and skills to
students in a class ("Risk and Resilience") and via participation in various activities
within a residential Living and Learning Community. Students will not only receive training
and support in establishing healthy exercise, nutrition, and sleep habits, students will also
be taught core components of cognitive-behavior therapy, mindfulness, and organizational
skills training.
In tandem with the implementation of WIN,the effectiveness of the program will be evaluated.
A research study will offer benefits: first, it will provide the college with data for future
estimations of student interest to assist in further expanding the scope of wellness; and
second, it will provide the Child Study Center at NYU with the opportunity to explore the
impact of teaching resilience skills to first-year college students and to modify, if
appropriate course content to improve effectiveness.
A longitudinal study at NYU beginning in Fall of 2017 of 175 first-year students, who are
randomly assigned to one of three conditions after consenting to participate in the research.
200 participants will be recruited during Spring and Summer of 2017 from the incoming
first-year students who will begin classes in Fall 2017. It is anticipated that of the 200
enrolled via electronic assent prior to the beginning of the fall 2017 semester, some may not
attend NYU and some may rethink the decision to participate and then not follow up with
providing informed consent. As such, there will be over-enrolling via preliminary electronic
assent so that the following enrollment can be achieved:
175 students will be assigned randomly into one of three conditions:
- 50 students to Condition 1 (enrolled in the Risk and Resilience course during Fall 2017
and directly encouraged to participate in the Founders Living and Learning Community
wellness activities for the Fall of 2017)
- 75 students to Condition 2 (waitlisted to be enrolled in the Rick and Resilience course
until Spring 2018, and not directly encouraged to participate in the WIN Living and
Learning Community wellness activities)
- 50 students to Condition 3 (a control group that receives none of the interventions
during the first year). This group will instead receive an online pamphlet that contains
a number of wellness tips and advice for first-year students. Participants have access
to the WIN Living and Learning Community wellness activities in Fall of 2017 and Spring
of 2018, but are not directly encouraged to participate.
The progress of these 175 students will be measured at frequent intervals throughout the
first and subsequent years at college, beginning with a baseline assessment battery once
participants provide written informed consent in Fall of 2017, followed by a second survey in
Winter 2018, another survey at the end of the academic year (May 2018), and then annually
thereafter. In addition to collecting demographic factors (age, gender, race, ethnicity, and
relationship status), the study will utilize empirically-based measures that will be
self-reported by the students, using an online survey tool. These measures will capture a
series of attributes that have been demonstrated as being important factors in psychological
well-being, including:
- Perceived stress
- Depressive symptoms
- Anxiety symptoms
- Dysfunctional attitudes
- Risk behaviors (smoking, sexual activity, alcohol and drug usage, etc.)
- Coping skills
- Interpersonal communication
- Use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques
- Health behaviors (exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.)
Additional data will be collected to measure academic achievement, such as grade-point
average and persistence in college.
Inclusion Criteria:
- 18 years old
- a student at NYU (Ascertained by their nyu.edu email address)
- residing in Founder's Hall (corroborated by NYU Housing)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Provided the potential participant has met the above inclusion criteria, there are no
exclusion criteria.
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