ASSESSMENT REPORT - Rochester Institute of Technology

ASSESSMENT
REPORT

RIT Counseling Center
2009 - 2010

A Clinical Intake Assessment Tool

John S. Weas, Director
Dr. Mark Allen Miles, Director of Clinical Services

A Clinical Intake Assessment Tool

Goal: Identification of a brief assessment tool that can be easily administered and scored at the
time of a student’s first intake appointment and that assists counselors in their case formulation,
initial intervention, and development of therapeutic treatment plans.

Selected Instrument: The Millon College Counseling Inventory is a comprehensive assessment
inventory specifically designed for students facing the stresses of college life. Normed on
college and university students and taking approximately 20 minutes to complete, the Millon
address the following student-specific issues:

Depression
Stress and Anxiety
Adjustment and Relationship Difficulties
Alcohol/Drug Abuse
Suicidal Ideation

Outcome: Faced with an unprecedented demand for mental health services, use of The Millon
College Counseling Inventory has provided a reliable and effective tool to assist the Center’s
Intake Coordinator and Director of Clinical Services in triaging presenting students. Because of
the Millon’s ability to measure suicide ideation, this particular psychological assessment
instrument has also been especially beneficial in helping to prioritize those students needing
immediate or emergency services.

Assessment Study: The Center recently completed an in-depth analysis of The Millon College
Counseling Inventory spanning 18 months to construct a comprehensive profile of the nature and
frequency of reported mental health issues and to gain a an enhanced understanding of the nature
and severity for students seeking counseling services.

Findings:

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Assessment Report 2009 – 2010

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Millon College Counseling Inventory: Personality Tendencies

(Students scoring 65 or above—clinically significant range, greater than 98% of population)*

Percentage of Clients
(12/2008 - 06/2010)

n = 925

Introverted 27 37.7
Needy 25 36.5
23
Dejected 36.5
Inhibited
Borderline Percentage of
Sociable Clients
Confident
Oppositional 15.8
Conscientious 14.5
13.7
Unruly 12.4
Denigrated 11.4

0 10 20 30 40

* For students scoring greater than 74 on Borderline scale, their other scale elevations were not included in the frequency
counts for the other scales since these students tend to have clinically significant elevations on numerous scales

(Figure 1)

In November 2009, Dr. Greta Davis and Dr. Rick Hansen of the American College
Counseling Association in a presentation entitled "Top 10 Issues in Student Mental Health"
presented data delineating national trends in the makeup and dynamics of college students
utilizing college counseling services. Two of the four major groupings identified by the ACCA
data as high-end users of college counseling services have also been found by the RIT
Counseling Center’s intake assessment process as significantly represented in the population of
students utilizing the Center’s services.

Almost 37 out of every hundred RIT students engaged as clients of the Counseling Center
present with dependent personality styles or tendencies wherein they demonstrate over reliance
on others to provide care, problem solving and decision-making and wherein they demonstrate a

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Assessment Report 2009 – 2010

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dearth of coping skills and distress tolerance capacity. (See Figure 1 – Needy) Additionally, a
quarter of the Counseling Center’s clients present with borderline personality-like tendencies
wherein they experience unstable relationships, emotional dysregulation, a limited sense of self
or ego strength, problems with trust, and chaotic or impulsive life mannerisms.

Not reported in the national data as a significant group and potentially reflective of the
student type attracted by the nature of many of the specific educational opportunities at RIT, the
personality subtype group that reflects the highest percentage of clients of the Counseling Center
at approximately 38 out of every hundred is the introverted or schizoid style which tends to
experience awkwardness, difficulties and anxiety related to social and interpersonal connections
and interactions. (Figure 1 – Introverted)

A final group not reported in the national data but reflecting about 36 out of every 100
RIT students utilizing the Counseling Center in so reflecting a major utilization group is
comprised of students presenting with a melancholic, dysthymic, or dejected personality style.
(Figure 1 – Dejected) These students tend toward a pessimistic or harshly realistic worldview, a
gloomy attitude toward themselves and others, low self-esteem, social withdrawal and heavy
heartedness.

Unlike the national trend reported by the ACCA, antisocial or unruly student
presentations are underrepresented at RIT (only about 12 out of every hundred students utilizing
RIT Counseling Center services) as are students presenting with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(national average 29%, RIT average approximately 12%). (See Figure 2)

However, while the national average reported in the ACCA presentation for students who
reported seriously considering suicide was 9%, the percentage of students presenting at the RIT
Counseling Center with significant suicidal tendencies was somewhat higher at almost 15%.
(Figure 2)

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Assessment Report 2009 – 2010

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Millon College Counseling Inventory: Clinical Signs

(Students scoring 65 or above—clinically significant range, greater than 98% of population)

Depressive Outlook Percentage of Clients 64.4
Anxiety/Tension (12/2008 - 06/2010) 60.3

Attention (Cognitive)… n = 925 Percentage of
Obsessions/Compulsions Clients
23.8
Anger Dyscontrol 22.8 60 70
Suicidal Tendencies 17.3
Post-Traumatic Stress 14.6
11.8
Eating Disorders 11
Alcohol Abuse 8
Drug Abuse 6.8
10 20 30 40 50
0

(Figure 2)

Although counseling center directors nationally report significant increases in students
presenting with eating disorders and substance abuse, only 11% and 7.5% of the students
entering the RIT Counseling Center presented with these significant issues. (Figure 2)

Relative to symptom presentation, excluding the affective issues of depression and
anxiety, deficits or disruptions in attention and other cognitive processes accounted for the
largest subgroup of symptom presentations with almost a quarter of the students reporting these

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Assessment Report 2009 – 2010

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problems. Problems with anger dyscontrol and verbal or physical aggressiveness accounted for
about 1/6 of the student presentations. (Figure 2)

Millon College Counseling Inventory: Expressed Concerns

(Students scoring 65 or above—clinically significant range, greater than 98% of population)

Percentage of Clients
(12/2008 - 06/2010)

n = 925

Mental Health Upset 49.6
Romantic Distress
Family Disquiet 35.4

Identity Quandaries 31.4 Percentage
Academic Concern 30 of Clients
29.2
Peer Alienation
Financial Burdens 20.8
Career Confusion 16.9
Living Arrangement Problems 16.1
Abusive Experiences
9.9
Spiritual Doubts 9.3
2.2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

(Figure 3)

Almost half of all students utilizing the RIT Counseling Center present with significantly
elevated levels of both depressive outlook and anxiety/tension likely reflecting the tendency for
half of the students to seek services at a time of personal crisis. This would be consistent with the
finding that at time of intake half of the students coming to the center report markedly above
average levels of dissatisfaction with their lives and questioning of their abilities to cope (Figure

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Assessment Report 2009 – 2010

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3 - Mental Health Upset). Only 16% of the students present with depression only and 11%
present with anxiety only.

Relative to expressed concerns or stressors identified by students as issues leading them
to seek treatment or contributing to their affect of distress or impaired functioning, problems
forming and/or maintaining intimate romantic relationships were identified by 35 out of every
100 students at intake. (Figure 3) One third of the time the student seeking services identified
family relationship difficulties. Making and maintaining peer friendships only arose as an issue
for one out of every five students.

Problems or quandaries related to the developmental challenge of identity formation or
differentiation of self and the development of confidence and self-worth emerged as a significant
concern or stressor for 30% of the RIT students utilizing the Counseling Center’s services.
(Figure 3) Above average distress over academic course load and homework demands and the
quality of grades and academic performance was identified as significant also for 30% of the RIT
students utilizing the Counseling Center’s services. (Figure 3)

Although in the national data provided by the ACCA 52% of the students were reported
as stating that the economy has been a significant source of stress for them, only 17% of the
students undergoing intake at the RIT Counseling Center from 12/2008 to 6/2010 reported above
average concerns are stress related to financial burdens. (Figure 3)

Finally, less than 10% of the students utilizing the RIT counseling center services during
the period of utilization of the Millon College Counseling Inventory identified problems,
concerns or stresses involving recent abusive experiences. (Figure 3)

Conclusions: As a result of this study, the Counseling Center is actively altering is group
therapy curriculum to address many of the needs identified in this study. Among the groups to
be offered include a group targeting students experiencing social anxiety, an emotional skill-
building group, a group to assist students in reducing and managing their stress, and a positive
psychology group.

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Assessment Report 2009 – 2010

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