A Randomized Controlled Trial of Taking Action Planning for College Students with Serious Mental Illnesses
The goal of this research is to investigate whether a peer-delivered illness self-management program called Taking Action can help college students with serious mental illnesses. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental condition (Taking Action) or the control condition (information only). Participants in the experimental condition will attend five 2.5-hour Taking Action sessions. Participants will complete three interviews (baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up) to assess how well the program works, is liked, and benefits students clinically and academically. The investigators seek to test the following hypotheses: Compared to controls, students who do the Taking Action program will report greater improvements in mental health self-management attitudes, skills, and behaviors and will report greater improvements in mental health symptoms and recovery, and better academic outcomes.
• Currently enrolled in a 2- or 4-year postsecondary educational institution in the United States (and are able to present a valid student ID card)
• Experiencing a serious mental illness, as operationalized by either:
• A score of 13 or higher on the K-6 Screening Scale for serious mental illness
• Self-reported psychiatric diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum or major affective disorder and self-reported lifetime functional impairment due to experiencing mental health challenges
• 18 years of age or older
• Have consistent access to a computer or smartphone and the Internet for communications
• No prior WRAP or Taking Action education