Evaluating a combined intervention targeting at-risk post-secondary students: When it comes to graduating, mental health matters

Amid reports of the surging mental health crisis among students, a related area of concern for many post-secondary institutions is retention rates. Mental distress has been shown to impact academic functioning, leading to decreased academic performance and dropout. This quantitative study evaluated a 12-week combined counselling intervention programme designed to improve both the mental health and academics of 244 self-referred, at-risk students at a Canadian university. Differences pre- and post-programme were examined among the following groups: those who were struggling academically, those who were mentally distressed and those who were experiencing both issues. Mental health, academic functioning and academic performance were measured pre- and post-programme by means of Likert-style questionnaires and overall grade point average (GPA). Results of paired-samples t tests demonstrated that all groups experienced significant improvement in academic performance, academic functioning and mental health. Almost all students who presented to the programme on academic warning were able to increase their grades in order to remain in their programmes, avoiding suspension. Findings demonstrate the programme's potential to provide support for university students who are struggling both academically and mentally, as well as increasing student retention rates. Discussion of these results highlights the implications for the implementation of holistic, combined intervention approaches within university policy to increase student retention rates and answer student calls for increased mental health support.