RESEARCH ARTICLE
Understanding University Students' Perspectives towards Digital Tools for Mental Health Support: A Cross-country Study
Ilaria Riboldi1, *, Angela Calabrese1, Susanna Piacenti1, Chiara Alessandra Capogrosso1, Susanna Lucini Paioni1, Francesco Bartoli1, Giuseppe Carrà1, 2, Jo Armes3, #, Cath Taylor3, #, Cristina Crocamo1, #
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2024Volume: 20
E-location ID: e17450179271467
Publisher ID: e17450179271467
DOI: 10.2174/0117450179271467231231060255
Article History:
Received Date: 11/8/2023Revision Received Date: 6/12/2023
Acceptance Date: 20/12/2023
Electronic publication date: 21/02/2024
Collection year: 2024
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background
Organisational and individual barriers often prevent university students from seeking mental health support. Digital technologies are recognised as effective in managing psychological distress and as a source of health-related information, thus representing useful options to address mental health needs in terms of accessibility and cost-effectiveness. However, university students' experiences and perspectives towards such interventions are little known.
Objectives
We thus aimed to expand the existing base of scientific knowledge, focusing on this special population.
Methods
Data were from the qualitative component of “the CAMPUS study”, longitudinally assessing the mental health of students at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and the University of Surrey (UK). We conducted in-depth interviews and thematically analysed the transcripts using the framework approach.
Results
An explanatory model was derived from five themes identified across 33 interviews (15 for Italy, 18 for the UK). Students perceived that social media, apps, and podcasts could deliver relevant mental health content, ranging from primary to tertiary prevention. Wide availability and anonymity were perceived as advantages that make tools suitable for preventive interventions, to reduce mental health stigma, and as an extension of standard treatment. These goals can be hindered by disadvantages, namely lower efficacy compared to face-to-face contact, lack of personalisation, and problematic engagement. Individual and cultural specificities might influence awareness and perspectives on the use of digital technologies for mental health support.
Conclusion
Although considering some specific features, digital tools could be a useful instrument to support the mental health needs of students. Since personal contact remains crucial, digital tools should be integrated with face-to-face interventions through a multi-modal approach.
