Recipient chapters of Collegiate Chapter Impact Grants presented their projects and posters at the 2024 AAPP Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. Representatives from each chapter presented live presentations during the collegiate chapter meeting, and members from the AAPP Foundation Board of Directors were in attendance to hear about these excellent projects! Presentations were recorded and are available to watch online. Congratulations to each of the recipient collegiate chapters on successful projects.
Project: Analyzing the Mental Health of Pharmacy Students Before and After the Use of a Relaxation Room
Collegiate Chapter & Primary Author: Duquesne University AAPP Collegiate Chapter, Elise Hreha
Grant Amount: $1500
Poster
The Duquesne University School of Pharmacy’s American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP) student chapter was awarded a Collegiate Chapter Impact Grant by the AAPP Foundation (AAPPF). They completed a project entitled, “Analyzing the Mental Health of Pharmacy Students Before and After the Use of a Relaxation Room.” The chapter first offered a relaxation space in 2022 and ramped up services in 2023 following AAPPF grant funding. During finals week, a relaxation room was created with the aim of promoting relaxation through the use of free food, fidget toys, and mental health resources. Relaxation among students was tracked before and after utilization of the relaxation space using a self-rated sticker chart. An anonymous survey was sent to students afterwards. A total of 49 students completed the chart. Feelings of relaxation increased in P1, P2, and P3 students following use of the relaxation room, with the most pronounced effects in P3 students. The Duquesne chapter plans to continue offering a relaxation space for pharmacy students during each finals week. Future plans include making additional resources available in the relaxation space in an effort to provide more individualized experiences. (By Chris Paxos)
Project: Unveiling Stigma in Healthcare: An Exploration of Student Pharmacists', Nurses' and Physicians' Attitudes Towards Mental Illness
Collegiate Chapter & Primary Author: East Tennessee State University AAPP Collegiate Chapter, Colton Jones
Grant Amount: $1400
Poster
The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Gatton College of Pharmacy’s American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP) student chapter was awarded a Collegiate Chapter Impact Grant by the AAPP Foundation (AAPPF). They completed and presented their study entitled, “Unveiling Stigma in Healthcare: An Exploration of Provider Attitudes Towards Mental Illness” at the 2024 Annual AAPP meeting in ChampionsGate, Florida. The aim of the chapter's study was to assess the prevalence of stigma towards individuals with mental and behavioral disorders among healthcare professional students (i.e., pharmacy, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy) and determine the need for anti-stigma intervention programs through the collection of quantitative data via a cross-sectional survey. Using the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers as their primary instrument for data collection, the chapter recruited 83 participants, with the majority of participants coming from the pharmacy (n=50) and nursing (n=23) professions at ETSU. Elements of stigma were present in each professional student group, with pharmacy students having the least stigma, although there were no statistically significant differences in mental illness stigma between the groups. Participation in the survey was low for some professional students, including medicine and occupational therapy, therefore the investigators suggested additional data would be helpful in making broader comparisons among healthcare professional students at their college. Based on the identification of stigma within each healthcare professional student group, the investigators plan to design interventions aimed at addressing stigma towards individuals with mental and behavioral health disorders. These interventions may include hosting seminars and lunch and learns across the colleges to enhance education on combating stigma.
Project: Pharmacy Students Advancing Mental Health Equity in an Underserved Racial/Ethnic Community
Collegiate Chapter & Primary Author: The Ohio State University AAPP Collegiate Chapter, Amaal Ahmed
Grant Amount: $1175
Poster
The Ohio State University’s American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP) student chapter was awarded a Collegiate Chapter Impact Grant by the AAPP Foundation (AAPPF). They completed a project entitled, “Pharmacy Students Advancing Mental Health Equity in an Underserved Racial/Ethnic Community.” The learning objectives include addressing mental health disparities, improving access to culturally sensitive mental health support, destigmatizing mental health and substance use disorders through training and education, and empowering students to lead as mental health advocates. A cross-sectional study with a six-hour educational training program covering mental health first aid, suicide prevention, harm reduction, and naloxone training for Somali-identifying college students. Two surveys (pre-survey and post-survey) were administered using Qualtrics to measure knowledge and attitudes before and after the program. Pre-survey results showed initial knowledge and attitudes, while post-survey results showed 100% improvement in knowledge and positive shifts in attitudes towards mental health. Low participation on the program day due to time conflicts, social stigma, and cultural influences. Only 3 out of 20 recruited participants attended. Despite the small sample size, the program showed a positive increase in knowledge and attitudes towards mental health among participants.