FSST on Campus Study Recruitment

Focused Skill and Strategy Training (FSST) is a manualized, one-on-one coaching intervention that is designed based on cognitive remediation literature. This intervention:

• Builds effective, durable habits to succeed in school;
• Focuses on executive functioning skills, including time and task management, prioritizing tasks, and planning to meet deadlines;
• Teaches practical academic strategies for success, including study strategies, note-taking skills, active listening, and encoding strategies; and
• Results in helping students to effectively manage the competing demands of college and maintain enrollment

In a previous trial, FSST has improved the odds of maintaining enrollment by 7 times...and we are designing this study so that you can see the same outcome for your students.

Structure:

• 12 weekly sessions, 1 hour each
• Delivered individually, in person
• Includes gamification, practice, and real-world application

The problem we are trying to solve is the high attrition rate of students with mental health conditions. This group experiences the highest attrition rate of all student groups, which results in long-term vocational consequences.

Given the published literature and our internal data, students with mental health conditions have GPAs that do not suggest that they are leaving school due to poor academic performance. Our group’s hypothesis is that these students leave not due to inability, but rather from the amount of personal effort it takes to complete their coursework.

Based on FSST’s previous findings, Dr. Mullen has developed and is evaluating a new theory, The White Knuckle Effect.

This theory states that students exert extreme effort to meet the expectations of school, leading to “white knuckling” it. This effort results in semesters where they can “hold on” and complete their courses satisfactorily (and often well), and yet other semesters that are littered with withdrawals, incompletes, and Ds and Fs that typically result in difficulty finishing the semester. These periodic cycles of “crash and burn” pull down their GPA and eat through their financial aid.

Dr. Mullen’s hypothesis is that without refined self-regulated learning and self-management skills, students use sheer will and effort to meet the heavy demands of school. Without effective cognitive offloading strategies and refined self-management systems to plan, prepare, and complete assignments, students enter into a prolonged phase of cognitive overload. For all people, regardless of the presence or absence of a mental health condition, cognitive overload results in increased feelings of distress and reduced performance.  These experiences of falling behind, and “white knuckling” it, potentially then lead to exacerbation of symptoms, inconsistent performance, and cycles of dropout and re-enrollment.

To help break these cycles, our lab focuses on the development of executive functioning skills, which are the foundation of academic and vocational success as a method to prevent cognitive overload, enhance academic persistence, and improve graduation rates.

Students learn strategies across four areas:

1. Prospective Memory (Remembering to Remember), including:
• Time management, organization, planning, & prioritization
2. Conversational and Task Attention, including:
• Managing distractions, active listening, and note-taking
3. Learning & Memory, including:
• Study techniques, recall methods
4. Cognitive Flexibility & Problem-solving, including:
• Adapting, decision-making, self-monitoring

Yes! Prior studies show strong results. In addition to FSST completers being 7 times more likely to stay enrolled for an additional academic year than non-FSST students, FSST demonstrated statistically significant results where participants:

• Used more cognitive strategies, such as calendaring, to-do lists, reminders, and study strategies
• Reported fewer cognitive problems, like forgetting appointments, missing assignments, and losing/misplacing belongings
• Completed more courses and credits
• Reported fewer symptoms and academic barriers
• Improved their working memory and attention scores on neurocognitive assessments

If selected, your campus would:

• Host FSST within your Center for Academic Support
• Identify:
• An excited FSST Supervisor, and
• An adequate number of staff/ graduate students to train in FSST
• Participate in training and implementation support
• Provide iPads for FSST services
• Provide additional resources/support to verify mental health diagnoses (if needed) and conduct neurocognitive assessments (pre & post FSST intervention)
• Lead cross-campus communication strategies to increase awareness of FSST on campus
• Help with student recruitment and outreach
• Maintain FSST services after research activities are concluded