Impact

Part of our mission at Counseling Services is to conduct and disseminate research on critical issues related to college student mental health. We prioritize data-informed approaches to improving our clinical services and clinic operations. We also believe that staying up to date on and contributing to the current literature on college student mental health helps us provide the best quality care to University of Nevada, Reno students. At CS, we work to achieve these goals by 1) fostering a work climate that values and understands the importance of research in clinical practice, 2) promoting the use of ongoing multidimensional program evaluation as a common practice within CS, and 3) embracing a proactive research agenda to understand the needs of our students and promote practices to meet those needs.

 

Data about our campus

Counseling Services has collaborated with researchers at other institutions to gather data on the well-being of University students through national surveys (e.g., the Healthy Minds Study). The University's participation in this research supports the field in identifying trends in college student mental health across the United States. Much of this national data is publicly available and is linked within each research study below.

National survey collaborations

 

Data about our center

At Counseling Services, we have a Program Evaluation and Research Committee that regularly evaluates our services based on the utilization of, the effectiveness of, and client satisfaction with our offered services. This data helps us make informed decisions about where to allocate resources and how to best support our students. It also helps us share important data about how much students use our services, as well as how effective and well-received they are.

Services provided (2023-2024)

1,353
students attended therapy

9,585
hours of services provided

1,023
hours of outreach events

12,099
attendees at outreach events

36
groups offered

166
psychological assessments completed

1,785
visits to Annex

569
students received Annex services

231
students attended Let's Talk Consultation

Effectiveness of services (2023-2024)

CS was more effective than 93% of other counseling centers in helping distressed students

92%
agreed services helped them stay in school

87%
agreed CS increased their sense of belonging

70%
were satisfied with the duration of their care

Client satisfaction (2023-2024)

90%
were satisfied with services

97%
were satisfied with individual therapy

100%
were satisfied with group therapy

94%
would recommend services to a friend

95%
would use services again

97%
agreed services were culturally sensitive

Staff diversity (2023-2024)

29%
are people of color

32%
are LGBTQIA+

39%
are first-generation students

21%
have a physical/mental disability

16%
speak 2+ languages

14
spiritual/religious identities represented

 

Research at Counseling Services

Counseling Services has a history of receiving federal funding to conduct research on college student mental health and has become an epicenter for research in this area. Faculty and staff at Counseling Services focus on conducting research on clinical interventions that can improve the well-being of college students at the University and at the national level.

Our research involvement

eBridge Study

Electronic Bridge to Mental Health for College Students (eBridge) aimed to identify students with elevated levels of known suicide risks who were not actively in treatment and facilitate these students' linkage to mental health services, via a Web-based intervention (feedback on a screening measure and online counseling) that followed Motivational Interviewing principles. Students from the following institutions participated in the study: University of Michigan, the University of Iowa, the University of Nevada-Reno, and Stanford University.

Funding details

  • Title: Electronic Bridge to Mental Health for College Students (eBridge)
  • Co-Investigator: Jacqueline Pistorello, Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno
  • Funding Period: 2014-2019
  • Funding Source: R01MH103244; Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health of NIH

eBridge study

CAMPUS Study

The Comprehensive Adaptive Multisite Prevention of University Student Suicide (CAMPUS) trial aims to test targeted, adaptive strategies to better treat the range of students experiencing suicidal ideation at college counseling centers. Researchers are evaluating four sequences of treatment among college students at risk of suicide who are seeking treatment at university counseling centers. The institutions participating in this trial include Duke University, Rutgers University, the University of Nevada-Reno and the University of Oregon.

Funding details

  • Title: 1/4 Adapting Treatments for Suicidal College Students: A Multisite Trial
  • Principal Investigator: Jacqueline Pistorello, Ph.D., UNR; Co-Investigator: Francesca Kassing, Ph.D., UNR
  • Funding Period: 2019-2024
  • Funding Source: R01MH116052; Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health of NIH

CAMPUS Study