The present study compared a sample of first-year university students residing in Living Learning Programs (LLPs; n = 64) with a matched-group of first-year students residing in traditional residence halls (n = 83) at a large university located in the southeastern United States. The study examined if students in LLPs experience greater belongingness, perceived social support, and mental health in comparison to peers in traditional residence halls, and if this corresponds to greater help-seeking intentions and superior RA mental health gatekeeper performance. Participants completed the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSM; Goodenow, 1993), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988), the Mental Health Continuum Short-Form (Keyes, 2009a), and an RA Gatekeeper Performance and Student Help-Seeking Questionnaire that was designed by the researcher. Findings from the present study suggest that LLPs are effective for increasing the amount of social support and belongingness students' experience in relation to their resident hall communities, but not for increasing overall or global belongingness and social support. Results also indicate that students in LLPs received more support from their RA mental health gatekeeper and exhibited greater help-seeking intentions towards RAs and resident hall peers in comparison to students in traditional residence halls. A discussion of the findings is offered in support of Wyman and colleagues' (2008) communication model of gatekeeper training. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed, in addition to suggestions for future research. Keywords: living learning programs, college students, sense of belongingness, perceived social support, mental health, help-seeking intentions, mental health gatekeepers, resident assistants, RA gatekeeper training
