Date Approved

9-15-2025

Embargo Period

9-15-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. Clinical Psychology

Department

Clinical Psychology

College

College of Education

Advisor

Steven Brunwasser, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

Jim Haugh, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Jane Gilham, Ph.D.

Committee Member 3

Daniel Eisenberg, Ph.D.

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Depression is a major public health concern in higher education. With college mental health counseling centers struggling to meet the high demand for services, there is a critical need to refine and expand prevention efforts. The first semester as a new postsecondary institution may be an important window for prevention efforts as students are adjusting to new academic and social challenges. This dissertation has three primary aims. Study 1 aims to improve identification of students in greatest need of preventive care and allocation of limited prevention resources. Study 2 seeks to refine understanding of etiological processes contributing to depression during the college transition in a high-risk population. Improved etiological understanding could inform the development of new, and refinement of existing, preventive interventions. Finally, Study 3 aims to quantify the effect of depression-related impairment during students’ first semester on their subsequent academic performance. This may help administrators and stakeholders better estimate the impact of first-semester depression on academic outcomes, potentially influencing investment in preventive services. In sum, by improving risk identification, etiological understanding, and impact on outcomes highly valued by stakeholders, these studies could enhance future prevention efforts.

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