Dedicating to ending sexual violence on campus
PROGRAMS & TOOLS
PREVENTION
PROGRAMMING MATRIX
AlphaPoint.me Resilience Program
AlphaPoint.Me Resilience is a 90-minute online program that provides students with knowledge and skills to recognize mental health issues and how to get assistance, form healthy relationships and better understand the parameters of sexual assault. Custom versions are available for faculty and staff and for student-athletes.
Website
https://www.alphapoint.me
| Program Name | Level of Evidence | Format | Target Audience | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AlphaPoint.me Resilience Program
|
Emerging |
|
|
Custom version available for student-athletes |
Learning Objectives
Students will learn:
- the definition and understand that such behavior is prohibited by their college (dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking)
- how to respond if they are on the receiving end of sexual harassment
- the definition of sexual consent, and factors which negate consent such as age, duress, mental state, and incapacitation.
- the concept of bystander intervention and best practices in intervening during associated situations.
- the warning signs of negative and unhealthy relationships.
- skills in developing healthy relationships such as open communication, respecting differences of opinions, listening to others’ needs, and conflict resolution.
- about healthy communication styles.
Methods
The program is video based with interactive exercises and assessments. The modules can be used independently or in combination with synergistic effect. The modules include: Sexual Violence / Healthy Relationships, Alcohol and Drugs (includes a specialty section on Xanax use), Mental Health, Diversity, and Civility.
Dosage
Five modules that take approximately 90 minutes to complete
Theoretical Basis For Approach
The transition from high school to college is documented as a significant stressor for students (Rodgers & Tennison, 2009). This stress has been linked to increased risk in numerous factors such as alcohol problems and depression (Bernier, Larose, & Whipple, 2005; Soucy & Larose, 2000). In addition to the obvious reasons for addressing these issues, it is also important to note that social and emotional adjustment is predictive of attrition and academic performance (Salzer, 2012).
Research suggests that out of all college students who are psychologically distressed, only 10% ever seek professional help (Marsh & Wilcoxon, 2015). The typical barriers for students are often personal fears, stigma, and privacy concerns (Marsh & Wilcoxon, 2015). Therefore, normalizing training and providing example student experiences may be key in motivating students to seek assistance. However, these factors can’t be addressed in isolation. The interconnectedness of these domains have been clearly established. For example:
- Microaggressions are associated with increased anxiety, increased drinking, and increased alcohol related consequences (Blume, Lovato, Thyken, & Denny, 2012).
- Dating violence is associated with a constellation of mental health problems (Coker et al., 2002)
- Half of all intimate partner violence involves alcohol (Caetano, Schafer, & Cunradi, 2001)
- Cyber bullying in college is associated with increased alcohol use problems (Selkie, Kota, Chan, & Moreno, 2015)
- Among college students, depression is associated with increased risk for alcohol problems and problematic drinking after college (Nagoshi, 1999; Patock-Peckham, Hutchinson, Cheong, & Nagoshi, 1998)
- College students who use marijuana on a regular basis have lower ability to deal with negative psychological states (Zvolensky et al., 2009)
- Among college students, social anxiety is associated with hazardous drinking (Ham, 2009)
Research has shown that incorporating related domains is crucial. For example, one study found that alcohol education did not change drinking but alcohol education plus mental health education significantly reduced problem drinking (Reynolds, MacPherson, Tull, Baruch, & Lejuez, 2011). For that reason, AlphaPoint student education and training programs take a comprehensive approach.
Program Effectiveness
Unpublished evaluation research by AlphaPoint had demonstrated high student satisfaction with the program as well as an increase in knowledge on key topics.
PARTICIPATING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
- University of Alabama
- Auburn University
- Texas Tech University
- Mount Saint Mary's University
- Mid-American Christian University
- St. Peters University
- Albion College
- Immaculata University
- Suffolk University Athletics
- Lourdes University
HOW TO ACCESS THIS PROGRAM
Contact AlphaPoint at Resilience@alphapoint.me
Sources
Bernier, A., Larose, S., & Whipple, N. (2005). Leaving home for college: a potentially stressful event for adolescents with preoccupied attachment patterns. Attachment & Human Development, 7(2), 171-185.
Blume, A. W., Lovato, L. V., Thyken, B. N., & Denny, N. (2012). The relationship of microaggressions with alcohol use and anxiety among ethnic minority college students in a historically White institution. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 18(1), 45-54. doi:10.1037/a0025457
Caetano, R., Schafer, J., & Cunradi, C. (2001). Alcohol-related intimate partner violence among white, black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. Alcohol Research & Health, 25(1), 58-65.
Coker, A. L., Davis, K. E., Arias, I., Desai, S., Sanderson, M., Brandt, H. M., & Smith, P. H. (2002). Physical and mental health effects of intimate partner violence for men and women. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 23(4), 260-268. doi:10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00514-7
Ham, L. S. (2009). Positive social alcohol outcome expectancies, social anxiety, and hazardous drinking in college students. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 33(6), 615-623. doi:10.1007/s10608-009-9248-8
Marsh, C. N., & Wilcoxon, S. A. (2015). Underutilization of mental health services among college students: An examination of system-related barriers. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 29(3), 227-243. doi:10.1080/87568225.2015.1045783
Nagoshi, C. T. (1999). Perceived Control of Drinking and Other Predictors of Alcohol Use and Problems in a College Student Sample. Addiction Research, 7(4), 291-306. doi:10.3109/16066359909004388
Patock-Peckham, J. A., Hutchinson, G. T., Cheong, J., & Nagoshi, C. T. (1998). Effect of religion and religiosity on alcohol use in a college student sample. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 49(2), 81-88. doi:10.1016/S0376-8716(97)00142-7
Reynolds, E. K., MacPherson, L., Tull, M. T., Baruch, D. E., & Lejuez, C. W. (2011). Integration of the brief behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD) into a college orientation program: Depression and alcohol outcomes. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58(4), 555-564. doi:10.1037/a0024634
Rodgers, L. S., & Tennison, L. R. (2009). A preliminary assessment of adjustment disorder among first-year college students. Archives Of Psychiatric Nursing, 23(3), 220-230. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2008.05.007
Salzer, M. S. (2012). A comparative study of campus experiences of college students with mental illnesses versus a general college sample. Journal Of American College Health, 60(1), 1-7. doi:10.1080/07448481.2011.552537
Selkie, E. M., Kota, R., Chan, Y.-F., & Moreno, M. (2015). Cyberbullying, depression, and problem alcohol use in female college students: A multisite study. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(2), 79-86. doi:10.1089/cyber.2014.0371
Soucy, N., & Larose, S. (2000). Attachment and control in family and mentoring contexts as determinants of adolescent adjustment to college. Journal Of Family Psychology, 14(1), 125-143.
Zvolensky, M. J., Marshall, E. C., Johnson, K., Hogan, J., Bernstein, A., & Bonn-Miller, M. O. (2009). Relations between anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, and fear reactivity to bodily sensations to coping and conformity marijuana use motives among young adult marijuana users. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 17(1), 31-42. doi:10.1037/a0014961