Mental health services reach out to college students online
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.
And while the results show that one-to-one counselling from the Student Counselling Service and the Student Health Service represent the most popular services on-campus for mental health information and support, figures from the IAUCC show a ratio of just one full-time counsellor for every 5,109 students in 2013-2014. Specifically, nearly two thirds of students who took part in the survey (63%) indicated that they would be likely to avail of one-to-one counselling on campus.
The researchers said while it was positive that students were willing to seek professional help during their time on campus, the significant increase in demand for such services “presents a challenge in meeting student mental health need within current capacity”.
With this in mind, the survey scrutinised e-mental health (using the internet and technology for mental health information and support) to assess how useful students regarded online support.
More than eight in 10 agreed that using the internet and technology for mental health information and support is advantageous from the perspective of privacy, confidentiality and anonymity. The researchers said these qualities “can help to lower barriers to help-seeking, especially for people who might be reluctant to seek help or look for information elsewhere”.
The survey also found that 45% of students spend two to four hours online a day engaged in non-course related activities, with more than half engaged in “communication” including social media and emails; 49% saying they engaged in “entertainment” and others engage in online gambling or looking at porn.
A report on the survey, for presentation on Thursday at the international Technology for Wellbeing conference which takes place in Dublin, makes a number of recommendations, including that colleges ensure their student counselling and health services are appropriately resourced and student support staff be actively involved in ensuring that online information and resources provided for students are of a high quality and reliable
