In our rapidly evolving society, mental health has emerged as a critical concern among college students, deserving comprehensive attention and effective interventions. Recent research underscores the importance of specific mental health knowledge in promoting the utilization of mental health services. This study examines the knowledge of mental health among college students at a small southeastern private historically Black college and university. Utilizing a convenient sample, the study will measure mental health knowledge using a modified version of the Mental Health Support Scale for Adolescents (Lu et al., 2023). Questionnaire responses will range from 0 times to 4 or more times, assessing the frequency of mental health support behaviors. Semi-structured interviews will gather qualitative data on students' mental health knowledge. Demographic data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, with independent t-tests and ANOVA employed to determine differences between demographic categories and mental health knowledge questions, at an alpha level of .05. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify themes and patterns related to mental health knowledge. Projected results indicate significant differences in mental health knowledge across gender, classification, and sport participation. Additionally, qualitative analysis is expected to reveal themes that address students' understanding and awareness of mental health. This study aims to highlight the gaps in mental health knowledge among college students and provide insights into targeted interventions to improve mental health literacy and service utilization. Ultimately, the findings may contribute to the development of effective mental health education programs tailored to the needs of diverse student groups.

Transitioning from collegiate to professional athletics marks a pivotal moment in an athlete's career, representing a leap in competition and a significant shift in lifestyle and identity. However, amid the exhilaration of achieving this milestone, there exists a complex interplay of psychological challenges that can profoundly impact mental health. Therefore, this study will examine the preparation of athletes for life after college and its effect on mental health. A convenient sample of student athletes from a small southeastern private Historically Black College and University will be utilized for this study. Career readiness will be measured using a Modified Student Athlete Career Situation Inventory (Cammack, 2007). Semi-structured interviews will be conducted to gather qualitative data on participants' experiences, perceptions, and coping strategies related to the transition. Demographic data from the questionnaire will be analyzed using descriptive statistics. Independent t-tests will be utilized to determine the differences between the demographic categories and the preparation of athletes for life after college questions. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis techniques to identify themes and patterns related to the impact of the transition on athletes' mental health. Projected results will be that there will be a significant difference between gender, classification and sport and their preparation for life after college. Projected results will also include stressors experienced by athletes during the transition that will impact their mental health. Sports organizations, coaches, and players themselves may collaborate to encourage positive mental health outcomes and facilitate a seamless transition into the professional arena of sports.

This Research indicates that extracurricular activities provide a tool of therapy. Dance is an art that many teens and young adult's practice. Movement is known to release stress by producing mood boosting endorphins. Many teens and young adults use dance as an outlet but don't really know the benefits of it. Therefore, the purpose of this study will be to examine the attitudes towards dance therapy among college students. And to spread awareness of Dance therapy. Undergraduate college students from Johnson C. Smith University, a small private HBCU will be utilized for this study. Attitudes towards Dance therapy will be measured using the Profile of Moods States questionnaire (Petrowski, Albani, Zenger, Brahler, and Schmalback, 2021). The responses on the questionnaire will range from Not at all, A Little, Moderately, quite a lot, and extremely. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted to gather qualitative data on participants' experiences related to the dance therapy. Demographic data from the questionnaire will be analyzed using descriptive statistics. Chi square analysis will be utilized to determine the differences between the demographic categories and the attitudes towards dance therapy questions, alpha = .05. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis techniques to identify themes and patterns related to dance therapy. Projected results will be that there will be a significant difference between gender, classification and their attitudes towards dance therapy. Projected results will also include that there will be additional attitudes experienced by students that will have an impact on their attitude towards Dance therapy.

Introduction: Previous research has identified a relationship between mindfulness levels in individuals and their cultural backgrounds, suggesting that collectivist cultures may exhibit lower levels of mindfulness compared to individualist cultures. Mindfulness, defined as the ability to maintain present-moment awareness with an open and nonjudgmental mindset, is considered a universal trait. However, current measures of mindfulness, initially adapted from Eastern to Western contexts, might inherently favor individualist cultural norms. Objective: This study explores how cultural systems of thought correlate with trait mindfulness across diverse populations. Culture significantly shapes perspectives, with collectivist cultures typically emphasizing holistic thinking and individualist cultures favoring analytic thinking. These differences extend to cognitive processes such as attention, perception, memory, learning, and reasoning. Methods: Participants will self-identify as meditators or non-meditators and complete the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15 (FFMQ-15) to assess trait mindfulness. Additionally, participants will respond to the Analysis-Holism Scale-4 (AHS-4) and a 12-item triad classification task to determine their preferred cultural thinking style. Results: Preliminary findings suggest a positive correlation between holistic thinking and trait mindfulness, indicating that individuals who engage in thematic categorization tend to exhibit higher levels of mindfulness. Conversely, those who employ taxonomic categorization show lower levels of mindfulness. These categorization styles demonstrate varying correlations with different facets of the mindfulness questionnaire, highlighting within-culture variability in thinking styles. Conclusion: By recognizing the metaphysical elements embedded within reasoning styles, this study underscores the intricate relationship between mindfulness and cultural cognitive processes. These findings encourage further exploration of the nuanced interactions between these variables.