A multisite, quasiexperimental trial of a college course to support student mental health during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of a three‐credit college Wellness and Resilience Course (WRC) for improving student mental health and well‐being outcomes in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Method Undergraduate students aged 18–24 years old on five campuses in Western Pennsylvania or West Virginia who had either enrolled in the WRC ( n = 81) or were attending university as usual (i.e., not enrolled in the WRC; n = 171) participated in surveys at baseline (beginning of semester), end of semester, and 3‐month follow‐up during the Spring and Fall 2020 semesters. Results Overall, students rated the WRC as acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. From baseline to the end of semester, students who received the WRC reported significant improvements in psychological flexibility ( d = 0.30), mindfulness ( d = 0.42), distress tolerance ( d = 0.36), and use of dysfunctional and adaptive coping skills ( d = 0.32), compared with students who did not receive the WRC. At follow‐up, all gains remained statistically significant and students who received the WRC additionally reported significant improvements in stress ( d = 0.44) and life satisfaction ( d = 0.35) compared with students who did not receive the WRC. Conclusions These findings offer preliminary evidence that college courses focused on mental wellness may be an important component of campus strategies to increase universal access to mental health support and skills. This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov on April 8, 2020.