Feedback on the COPE Program from Freshman College Students with Implications for Future Research and Practice

Purpose: College student evaluations from the COPE on-line program, a 7 session cognitive behavioral skills building intervention, will be discussed and recommendations for practice and future research will be highlighted.

Methods: Following the completion of the COPE program, college students completed a program evaluation survey. Open ended feedback from the students was analyzed for themes.

Results: Fifty-eight percent of the students found COPE helpful. Sixty-two percent of students believed that all freshman students should have the COPE program during their first year of college. Further, 58% of students reported that they know of friends who would benefit from the program. The major themes that emerged were that the program helped the students cope with stress in a healthy way and think more positively. Students reported the three new skills learned most in COPE included positive thinking, coping positively with stress, and positive self-talk.  They also reported that positive thinking and goal setting were the two skills from the program most being used.

Conclusion: Evaluation feedback indicated COPE demonstrated many benefits for participants, including learning how to cope more positively with stress and goal setting. Results of this evaluation increase our understanding of the COPE program acceptability, impact and usefulness of the program content.