Mental health services reach out to college students online

With nearly two thirds of college students online for over two hours everyday, browsing YouTube, engaging with social media, gambling, and accessing porn — it’s the ideal forum to target their mental health needs, according to a leading sociologist.

Derek Chambers, director of programmes and policy with online youth mental health service ReachOut Ireland (ReachOut.com) said: “If we are serious about reaching out to young people about their mental health, then it makes sense to reach out to them online because a lot of the time, that is where they are.”

A comprehensive survey involving ReachOut Ireland, the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention (HSE NOSP), and the Irish Association of University and College Counsellors (IAUCC), supported by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), canvassed more than 5,556 students from 17 third-level institutions to explore their mental health behaviours and preferences.