School of Communication Assistant Professor Dr. Elizabeth Ray and CCI alumnus, Dr. Josh Hendrickse, along with colleagues at the College of Social Work and Provost James J. Clark recently had their study “Well-Being on Campus: Testing the Impact of a Web-Based Intervention for Resilience on First-Year Students” published in the Southern Communication Journal.

The study examined a web-based intervention, called the FSU Student Resilience Project, a research-informed toolkit developed by the Institute for Family Violence Studies, which is led by distinguished university scholar, Karen Oehme.

The study from the intervention evaluated the impact of the interactive website on first-year students’ self-efficacy and intentions to engage in self-help behaviors, and examined whether more visits to the website that features resources, information, and culturally specific content could give students greater confidence to seek help, if necessary.

Ray shared, “I hope that people understand the importance of mental wellness, particularly among students who are starting college for the first time. We can and should help them build resilience. Our study shows that the more we promote the tools and resources available to these students, overall well-being on campus may improve.”

“Results of this study indicate that if they continue to review the tools and resources provided on the site, it may increase their engagement in self-help behaviors to manage stress,” Ray told CCI.

Additionally, researchers found that students of color felt more confident in seeking help after visiting the site multiple times.

FSU students may access the Student Resilience Project for free by using their FSUID.