Professor Hippo-on-Campus: Developing and evaluating an educational intervention to build mental health literacy among university faculty and staff

Figures & data

Figure 1. 5 R protocol speedometer.

Table 1. Professor Hippo-on-Campus module descriptions.

Module	Content
1. Why Professor Hippo?	Introduction to the program, campus, and McMaster Student Mental Health and Well-being Strategy Inspiration behind name and program Epidemiology of post-secondary students and changing demographics Information about emerging adults and the emerging adult brain
2. Stress, Resilience, and Coping	Defining and understanding stress, types and sources of stress, effects on the body, performance and functioning Defining resilience Stress reduction and coping strategies
3. Emotions, Mental Health, and Mental Illness	Emotions and the expression of emotions Defining mental health and mental disorders, including The Keyes’ Dual Continuum Model of Mental Health^54 Etiology of mental health disorders and bio-psycho-social interventions Social determinants of mental health
4. Creating a Mental Health Positive and Inclusive Learning Environment	Creating mental health positive and inclusive learning environments Unconscious biases and stigma Introduction to Universal Design for Instruction or Learning (UDI) Recent addition: Virtual Learning Environments – Lessons from COVID-19 (not included in version evaluated here)
5. Communicating with Stressed and Distressed Learners	Relevant legislation and liability issues Recommended active listening and communication strategies to employ when students are experiencing stress or distress Communication dos and don’ts
6. Recognizing and Responding to Students in Distress or Difficulty	Overview of The McMaster 5 R Protocol: Responding to Students in Distress or Difficulty, which includes: Recognizing a student’s signs of distress Reaching out to the student Rating the severity of distress Responding to the situation and the student Reviewing the situation with the appropriate designate and reflecting on process and impact
7. Accommodations: Context and Process	Understanding disability, accessibility and the context of academic accommodations in Ontario and Canada Academic accommodations process and responsibilities of educators and students
8. Mental Health Matters for Educators and Navigators	Improving and maintaining mental health and self-care Ways to seek help and institutional resources for educators and navigators

Figure 2. Program participation flow chart.

Table 2. Sample characteristics.

	n (%) or mean (SD; min-max)
University Affiliation (not mutually exclusive)
Staff	237 (52.7%)
Faculty	111 (24.7%)
Student	209 (46.4%)
TA/medical resident/postdoctoral fellow	85 (18.9%)
Previous Mental Health (MH) Training
Any previous MH course/certifications	182 (40.4%)
Any previous MH training included in academic training (e.g., undergraduate/graduate degree in psychology, general or mental health professional training)	128 (28.4%)
Gender
Male	91 (20.2%)
Female	343 (76.2%)
Non-binary/other	15 (3.3%)
Age (in years)	35.8 (12.2; 0-73)
Number of years working at the institution
Part-time	2.5 (3.8; 0-20)
Full-time	6.5 (7.6; 0-35)
Time spent face-to-face with students
0–25%	146 (32.4%)
26–50%	121 (26.9%)
51–75%	100 (22.2%)
76–100%	81 (18.0%)
Nature of interactions with students
Teaching and/or supervising students	218 (48.4%)
Supporting, advising, and/or guiding students	92 (20.4%)
Assessing, counseling and/or treating students	9 (2.0%)
Interacting with students while providing a service or completing a task	33 (7.3%)
Supporting or serving students remotely, online or indirectly but rarely face-to-face	32 (7.1%)
Do not typically interact face-to-face or otherwise with students	20 (4.4%)
Other (e.g., conferences/events, tours, labs, peer support, security, employers of work-study students)	45 (1.0%)
Typical frequency of face-to-face interactions with students
Never	39 (8.7%)
Less than once a month	17 (3.8%)
More than once a month, but less than once a week	54 (12.0%)
More than once a week	152 (33.8%)
Daily	185 (41.1%)
Typical frequency of face-to-face interactions with students experiencing stress, distress, or having mental health difficulties
Never	102 (22.7%)
Less than once a month	116 (25.8%)
More than once a month, but less than once a week	149 (33.1%)
More than once a week	55 (12.2%)
Daily	24 (5.3%)

Table 3. Key outcomes pre and post program completion.

	Pre (Total Sample)			Pre (with Post Scores)			Post			Mean Difference (95% CI)	p-value
	mean (SD)	min, max	n	mean (SD)	min, max	n	mean (SD)	min, max	n
Scenario Knowledge	5.4 (1.4)	1, 8	442	5.6 (1.4)	1, 8	244	5.8 (1.5)	2, 8	244	0.2 (0.001, 0.4)	.049
Stigma	5.7 (2.2)	4, 16	448	5.7 (2.1)	4, 13	252	5.4 (2.1)	4, 19	252	0.3 (0.1, 0.5)	<.001
Negative Attitudes	19.8 (5.4)	13, 44	441	19.7 (5.0)	13, 37	243	18.3 (4.6)	13, 34	243	1.4 (0.8, 1.9)	<.001
Global Confidence	65.3 (17.2)	14, 100	399	66.1 (16.7)	14, 100	213	86.4 (9.3)	30, 100	213	20.4 (18.4, 22.4)	<.001
Scenario Confidence	91.7 (19.8)	20, 120	392	91.3 (18.4)	20, 120	207	106.3 (12.1)	26, 120	207	14.9 (12.8, 17.0)	.010

Table 4. Summary of all qualitative themes and subthemes.

Themes	Subthemes
Knowledge & understanding of student mental health issues	A better understanding of mental health concepts
	An increased awareness of mental health challenges and the mental health system within the institution
Confidence & changes in behavior	Perceived increase in confidence in supporting student mental health
	Creating an inclusive classroom environment using universal design principles
	Greater awareness of resources
	Usefulness and implementation of the 5 R protocol
Attitudes & perspectives	Increased personal responsibility in supporting student mental health
	Increased empathy
	Reaffirmed importance of student mental health
	Barriers to supporting student mental health
Quality of the program content and delivery	Importance of the Professor Hippo program
	Most beneficial aspects of the program: content and delivery
	Improvements to the program: logistics and content
Desire for additional support & training	Desire for further mental health training
	Desire for additional support from the institution and the community

Keyes CL. The mental health continuum: from languishing to flourishing in life. J Health Soc Behav. 2002;43(2):207–222. doi:10.2307/3090197.

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Data availability statement

Researchers can request access to the data used in this study by emailing Catharine Munn [email protected]