Authors' Affiliations

James Mason, M2 Medical Student, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Pete Jones, M2 Medical Student, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Nicole Ceausu, M2 Medical Student, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Grayson Aldridge, M2 Medical Student, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Zac Forbes, M2 Medical Student, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN.

Location

Culp Ballroom

Start Date

4-7-2022 9:00 AM

End Date

4-7-2022 12:00 PM

Poster Number

13

Faculty Sponsor’s Department

Family Medicine

Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor

Jose Velasco

Classification of First Author

Medical Student

Competition Type

Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Project's Category

Rural Health

Abstract or Artist's Statement

The 2021 “Community Health Needs Assessment” of Hawkins County, Tennessee conducted by regional hospital system, Ballad Health, identified mental health and substance abuse among the top 3 health priorities for the county. With input from community stakeholders, 5 ETSU medical students organized a 3-part intervention targeting 6th grade students (n=43) testing the hypothesis that individuals with competent coping skills and mental health awareness are less likely to turn to substances to manage life stressors. Lesson plans were crafted using Kolb’s experiential learning model and pre/post surveys collected at each session assessing participant awareness, self-efficacy, perceived stress, and feedback. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in student awareness of positive and negative coping skills and self-efficacy, along with favorable responses from students regarding lesson style. Continuation of the study with longitudinal assessments is needed to prove the hypothesis and indicate effectiveness of the intervention as a tool for reducing substance use in the region.

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Apr 7th, 9:00 AM Apr 7th, 12:00 PM

Deterring Substance Use in Grade School Children through Mental Health Awareness and Coping Skills Training

Culp Ballroom

The 2021 “Community Health Needs Assessment” of Hawkins County, Tennessee conducted by regional hospital system, Ballad Health, identified mental health and substance abuse among the top 3 health priorities for the county. With input from community stakeholders, 5 ETSU medical students organized a 3-part intervention targeting 6th grade students (n=43) testing the hypothesis that individuals with competent coping skills and mental health awareness are less likely to turn to substances to manage life stressors. Lesson plans were crafted using Kolb’s experiential learning model and pre/post surveys collected at each session assessing participant awareness, self-efficacy, perceived stress, and feedback. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in student awareness of positive and negative coping skills and self-efficacy, along with favorable responses from students regarding lesson style. Continuation of the study with longitudinal assessments is needed to prove the hypothesis and indicate effectiveness of the intervention as a tool for reducing substance use in the region.