PRG Supporting The SWAG-R Program for NSU Undergraduates to Learn Evidence-based Cognitive Tools and Adaptive Coping Skills

 

Kayla K. Thayer, Ph.D., ABPP, is a Board Certified Licensed Clinical Psychologist and an Associate Professor at NSU. She also serves as Director of the NSU Anxiety Treatment Center (ATC), housed within the NSU Psychological Services Center.

 

Tell me briefly about your recent grant-funded project.

I was awarded a NSU President’s Research Grant (PRG). The project focuses on the development and dissemination of The Student Wellness and emotional Growth Resiliency (SWAG-R) Program. The SWAG-R Program is a free, 6-week, one-on-one, online coaching intervention in which NSU undergraduate students learn evidence-based cognitive tools and adaptive coping skills. The SWAG-R Program is focused on decreasing NSU undergraduate student anxiety, depression, and stress, and improving quality of life, life satisfaction, resiliency, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and overall wellbeing. The SWAG-R Program has been fully created and as of January 2025, we are currently recruiting NSU undergraduate students to receive the program for free.

 

Who is working with you on this project?

The SWAG-R team includes co-PI Jonathan B. Banks, Ph.D., NSU Associate Professor, my former Ph.D. student who is currently a postdoctoral resident, Dr. Lindsay Craig, several of my current Ph.D. students: Claudia Ocholski, Katerina Rinaldi, Kate Landis, and an amazing team of SWAG-R Coaches who are also current NSU clinical psychology doctoral students: Isabella Hernandez, Cosette Rodriguez, Noah Katz, Bonnie Newman, Kristy Li, Sophia Lutz, and Haley Barry.

 

What opportunities and/or benefits does this grant bring to the NSU community?

Research has consistently demonstrated higher rates of anxiety, depression, and stress in university undergraduate students, and our NSU undergraduate students are no different. Addressing the mental health needs of undergraduate college students is of the utmost importance due to the myriad of implications related to their overall functioning, wellbeing, and academic success. The SWAG-R Project intends to broadly meet several NSU undergraduate student mental health needs, be versatile in delivery yet also individualized to the unique needs of the student, and decrease stigma traditionally associated with seeking mental health care. As previously mentioned, the project is being offered for free and is offered online so students can receive their coaching sessions at their convenience, based on their schedule. Students are also financially compensated for assessments they complete as part of the project.

 

How does this project connect with your other work at NSU?

As Director of the NSU Anxiety Treatment Center, I am dedicated to training doctoral students to provide high-quality, evidence-based psychological care to individuals in our community. We consistently treat issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, panic, and OCD with excellent results. Thus, it is my pleasure to be able to extend these same services and benefits to our NSU undergraduate students for free.

 

How has NSU helped you pursue and/or achieve personal and professional goals you have set for yourself? NSU resources used?

The Chair and Deans of my Department have been extremely supportive of my goals and instrumental in making this grant even possible. From the moment I expressed interest in pursuing this idea, they found ways to support me and allow me more time to work on the project (e.g., providing course coverage; supporting me through the Faculty Research Fellowship; providing funds to conduct an assessment-based needs survey prior to creation of the SWAG-R project).

 

What advice do you have for other grant seekers at NSU?

Just go for it! Express your ideas and interests, ask for the support you need to make it happen, and seek out collaborators with more experience and/or strengths in areas you need help.

 

What is the next grant proposal or project on your agenda?

Depending on results from the SWAG-R Project, I intend to seek external funding to hopefully be able to continue to offer the SWAG-R Program to our NSU undergraduates for free, for as long as we can. Additionally, I would like to expand the SWAG-R Program to other college campuses in the U.S.