Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2014 Nov;55(5):612-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.05.009. Epub 2014 Jul 16.

Gatekeeper training and access to mental health care at universities and colleges

Sarah Ketchen Lipson  1 , Nicole Speer  2 , Steven Brunwasser  3 , Elisabeth Hahn  4 , Daniel Eisenberg  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Gatekeeper training and access to mental health care at universities and colleges

Sarah Ketchen Lipson et al. J Adolesc Health. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

Purpose: Gatekeeper training (GKT) programs are an increasingly popular approach to addressing access to mental health care in adolescent and young adult populations. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a widely used GKT program, Mental Health First Aid, in college student populations.

Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted on 32 colleges and universities between 2009 and 2011. Campus residence halls were assigned to the intervention (Mental Health First Aid plus pre-existing trainings) or control condition (pre-existing trainings only) using matched pair randomization. The trainings were delivered to resident advisors (RAs). Outcome measures include service utilization, knowledge and attitudes about services, self-efficacy, intervention behaviors, and mental health symptoms. Data come from two sources: (1) surveys completed by the students (resident advisors and residents; N = 2,543), 2-3 months pre- and post-intervention; and (2) utilization records from campus mental health centers, aggregated by residence.

Results: The training increases trainees' self-perceived knowledge (regression-adjusted effect size [ES] = .38, p < .001), self-perceived ability to identify students in distress (ES = .19, p = .01), and confidence to help (ES = .17, p = .04). There are no apparent effects, however, on utilization of mental health care in the student communities in which the trainees live.

Conclusions: Although GKT programs are widely used to increase access to mental health care, these programs may require modifications to achieve their objectives.

Keywords: College students; Gatekeeper training; Mental health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Intended Process of GKT Intervention
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Wang PS, Berglund P, Olfson M, Pincus HA, Wells KB, Kessler RC. Failure and delay in initial treatment contact after first onset of mental disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2005;62(6):603. - PubMed
    1. Kessler R, Amminger G, Aguilar-Gaxiola S, Alonso J, Lee S, Ustun T. Age of onset of mental disorders: A review of recent literature. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2007;20(4):359–364. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Twenge JM, Gentile B, DeWall CN, Ma D, Lacefield K, Schurtz DR. Birth cohort increases in psychopathology among young Americans, 1938–2007: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of the MMPI. Clinical Psychology Review. 2010;30(2):145–154. - PubMed
    1. Hunt J, Eisenberg D. Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior among college students. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2010;46(1):3–10. - PubMed
    1. Eisenberg D, Nicklett E, Roeder K, Kirz N. Eating disorder symptoms among college students: Prevalence, persistence, correlates, and treatment-seeking. Journal of American College Health. 2011;59(8):700–707. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types