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Date of Graduation

5-2026

Description

Nearly half of individuals in the United States will experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime, with many symptoms first emerging in childhood or adolescence. Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterized by emotional, social, and psychological changes that increase vulnerability to mental health challenges. Although public awareness of mental health has grown, stigma and societal taboos continue to limit open dialogue and delay intervention. As a result, many young people experience a significant gap between the onset of symptoms and receipt of professional support, which can worsen mental health concerns and contribute to long-term consequences that persist into adulthood.Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is an evidence-based training program designed to address this gap by equipping individuals with the skills to recognize, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges in youth. The program empowers community members to act as early responders, promoting timely support and connection to appropriate professional resources.This study examines the impact of YMHFA training on undergraduate students preparing for youth-centered careers. Rome and Moxley will deliver the YMHFA course to approximately 30 undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas. The course includes two hours of self-paced online coursework and five hours of instructor-led training focused on recognizing warning signs of mental health challenges, responding to crisis and non-crisis situations, and applying a structured action plan to support the youth. Participants must complete standardized pre- and post-training assessments developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to measure changes in knowledge, attitudes, and confidence related to supporting youth mental health. Rome plans to analyze the data using frequencies and paired t-tests to evaluate changes following the training. The anticipated results are that YMHFA training enhances undergraduate students’ confidence and preparedness to recognize and respond to mental health challenges in youth. Participants are expected to demonstrate improved readiness to initiate supportive conversations, apply intervention strategies such as the ALGEE action plan, and determine appropriate next steps for referral. These findings are predictive of YMHFA effectively equipping future youth-serving professionals with foundational mental health skills, supporting earlier intervention and improved outcomes for the young people they will serve.

Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Psychological Science

Advisor/Mentor

Moxley, Shari

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Psychiatry and Psychology

Keywords

Humanities, Health

Building Mental Health Literacy: The Impact of Youth Mental Health First Aid on Emerging Youth Professionals

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