The Efficacy of an Eight-Week Undergraduate Course in Resilience

The purpose of this research was to measure the efficacy of an 8-week undergraduate course in resilience. Finding useful strategies to understand how college students manage stress and adversity is important to college administrators. The main topics that were assessed were resilience, well-being, and assertiveness. Participants for this study included undergraduate students enrolled either in a 8-week course on Resilience or a Public Health course. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being, and the Simple Rathus Assertiveness Scale were used to determine the efficacy of the 8-week course. Overall, there was not a significant difference in resilience and well-being, but there was a significant difference for the topic of assertiveness. There was a significant difference among genders, with males reporting higher means in resilience and assertiveness than females at the end of the course. There was also a significant difference between students who are affiliated with a Greek organization with being a member of a Greek organization resulting in lower means for resilience, well-being, and assertiveness. In qualitative analyses performed after completion of the course it was found that the class was helpful in teaching students breathing and other techniques to help them manage their stress. This study provided insight into some methods that can be implemented with college students to help them learn to deal with the stresses and adversities that they will face in their lives. The hope of this research is that it will serve as a guide to college health educators and administrators that resilience programming and education is a vital necessity that will lead to healthier and happier students who graduate