Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental health
Background: College students endorse high rates of mental health problems. While many colleges offer on-campus services, many students who could benefit from mental health services do not receive care. Indeed, nearly half of students who screen positive for depression, for example, do not receive tr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Internet Interventions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782921001330 |
| _version_ | 1798035652636311552 |
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| author | Emily G. Lattie Katherine A. Cohen Emily Hersch Kofoworola D.A. Williams Kaylee Payne Kruzan Carolyn MacIver Joseph Hermes Karen Maddi Mary Kwasny David C. Mohr |
| author_facet | Emily G. Lattie Katherine A. Cohen Emily Hersch Kofoworola D.A. Williams Kaylee Payne Kruzan Carolyn MacIver Joseph Hermes Karen Maddi Mary Kwasny David C. Mohr |
| author_sort | Emily G. Lattie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: College students endorse high rates of mental health problems. While many colleges offer on-campus services, many students who could benefit from mental health services do not receive care. Indeed, nearly half of students who screen positive for depression, for example, do not receive treatment. Digital mental health programs, such as those delivered via mobile apps, may help expand access to mental health care and resources. This mixed-methods study aims to examine the uptake and effectiveness of an implementation of IntelliCare for College Students, a self-guided app-based mental health platform, on two university campuses. Methods: Data on counseling center utilization was collected prior to the implementation of the app (pre-implementation phase) and while the app was available on campus (implementation phase). Data on app usage was collected throughout the implementation phase. A subset of participants (n = 20), along with counseling center staff members (n = 10), completed feedback interviews. Results: Overall, uptake of the app platform was low. A total of 117 participants downloaded the app and registered their study ID during the implementation phase. Approximately 24% (28/117) of participants used the app only once. The number of days between the first and last day of app use ranged from 0 to 299, with a mean of 35.01 days and a median of 14 days. A relatively small portion of the sample (26.5%; 31/117) downloaded one or more of the IntelliCare interactive apps. In examining counseling center utilization, there were no significant changes in intake appointments, individual therapy sessions, or crisis appointments observed from the pre-implementation phase to the implementation phase of the study. Feedback interviews highlighted the significant level of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to remote learning, including challenges disseminating information to students and a preference to spend less time with digital devices outside of class time. Conclusions: Findings from this study indicate that there is an ongoing need to identify ways to reach college students and support student mental health and wellness for the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:01:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-959215c660aa4a8bb9145eea45084ecf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2214-7829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:01:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Internet Interventions |
| spelling | doaj.art-959215c660aa4a8bb9145eea45084ecf2022-12-22T04:03:30ZengElsevierInternet Interventions2214-78292022-03-0127100493Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental healthEmily G. Lattie0Katherine A. Cohen1Emily Hersch2Kofoworola D.A. Williams3Kaylee Payne Kruzan4Carolyn MacIver5Joseph Hermes6Karen Maddi7Mary Kwasny8David C. Mohr9Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of America; Corresponding author at: Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, 710 N Lake Shore Drive, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States of America.Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States of AmericaDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of AmericaDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of AmericaDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of AmericaAdaptive Health, Inc., United States of AmericaDepartment of Student Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States of AmericaDepartment of Student Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States of AmericaDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of AmericaDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States of AmericaBackground: College students endorse high rates of mental health problems. While many colleges offer on-campus services, many students who could benefit from mental health services do not receive care. Indeed, nearly half of students who screen positive for depression, for example, do not receive treatment. Digital mental health programs, such as those delivered via mobile apps, may help expand access to mental health care and resources. This mixed-methods study aims to examine the uptake and effectiveness of an implementation of IntelliCare for College Students, a self-guided app-based mental health platform, on two university campuses. Methods: Data on counseling center utilization was collected prior to the implementation of the app (pre-implementation phase) and while the app was available on campus (implementation phase). Data on app usage was collected throughout the implementation phase. A subset of participants (n = 20), along with counseling center staff members (n = 10), completed feedback interviews. Results: Overall, uptake of the app platform was low. A total of 117 participants downloaded the app and registered their study ID during the implementation phase. Approximately 24% (28/117) of participants used the app only once. The number of days between the first and last day of app use ranged from 0 to 299, with a mean of 35.01 days and a median of 14 days. A relatively small portion of the sample (26.5%; 31/117) downloaded one or more of the IntelliCare interactive apps. In examining counseling center utilization, there were no significant changes in intake appointments, individual therapy sessions, or crisis appointments observed from the pre-implementation phase to the implementation phase of the study. Feedback interviews highlighted the significant level of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to remote learning, including challenges disseminating information to students and a preference to spend less time with digital devices outside of class time. Conclusions: Findings from this study indicate that there is an ongoing need to identify ways to reach college students and support student mental health and wellness for the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782921001330mHealthDepressionAnxietyCollege students |
| spellingShingle | Emily G. Lattie Katherine A. Cohen Emily Hersch Kofoworola D.A. Williams Kaylee Payne Kruzan Carolyn MacIver Joseph Hermes Karen Maddi Mary Kwasny David C. Mohr Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental health Internet Interventions mHealth Depression Anxiety College students |
| title | Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental health |
| title_full | Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental health |
| title_fullStr | Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental health |
| title_short | Uptake and effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app platform for college student mental health |
| title_sort | uptake and effectiveness of a self guided mobile app platform for college student mental health |
| topic | mHealth Depression Anxiety College students |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782921001330 |
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