Student Perceptions of Online Mental Health Services
Date
2021-08-26
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Abstract
University students experience a large number of stressors during their studies and many experience poor mental wellness. Despite this, many students do not access mental health services on campus due to several reasons such as awareness, personal and perceived public stigma, and time constraints. The global pandemic has led to a rapid transition to online mental health services at universities, including the University of Calgary’s Student Wellness Services. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into student’s experiences with online counselling, what its benefits and barriers are, and what variables can predict students’ use of online counselling services once in-person services are re-instated. It was found that high value in online counselling predicted higher intentions to continue online counselling, while high value in face-to-face counselling and higher purpose in life predicted lower intentions to continue online counselling. This research adds to the few studies that have studied university students’ experiences with telehealth. In general, students reported similar value and discomfort with both formats of counselling. Convenience and comfort were identified as important benefits to students, while concerns about connecting with the counsellor, privacy, and technical difficulties were identified as important drawbacks of online counselling. Students expressed mixed results on comfort with online and in-person modalities. This study found important implications for policy maker as universities may be able support more students that are struggling if they provide online counselling.
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Keywords
Online mental health services, student mental health, accessing services
Citation
Moore, M. (2021). Student Perceptions of Online Mental Health Services (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.