National Collegiate Honors Council
Promoting Holistic Wellness in Honors Students through Peer Coaching
Copyright 2023, the authors. Used by permission
Abstract
While the conversation in honors about the mental health of students has persisted for over two decades, authors identify a marked increase in the need for student mental health support since the first Generation Z students entered college in 2015. A review of literature in honors indicates upticks in discourse relating to mental health (tn = 66) since 2004, and content analysis shows peaks in publication for 2018 and 2021 (n ≠ 11, respectively). This study describes a peer coaching program that focuses on the holistic wellness and support of honors students. Authors observe a decrease in Behavioral Intervention Team meetings and suicide attempts since the program’s inception in 2015. Programmatic details, including application and selection, training, expectations of peer coaches, assessment, and improvement initiatives are included so that similar programs can be implemented in and beyond honors.