College Students’ Attitudes About Mental Health-Related Content in Mobile Apps

Background: Scoping reviews of the literature on the development and application of mental health apps based on theoretical suggestions are lacking. This study systematically examines studies on the effects and results of mental health mobile apps for the general adult population. Methods: Following PICOs (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, study design), a general form of scoping review was adopted. From January 2010 to December 2019, we selected the effects of mental health-related apps and intervention programs provided by mobile to the general adult population over the age of 18. Additionally, evaluation of methodological quality was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) checklist. Results: Fourteen studies were analyzed of 1205 that were identified; duplicate and matching studies were excluded. One was a descriptive study and 13 were experimental, of which randomized control trials (RCTs) accounted for 71.4%. Four of the mobile apps were developed based on cognitive behavior theory, one based on stress theory, and one on ecological instant intervention theory. These apps included breathing training, meditation, and music therapy. Stress, depression, and anxiety decreased using these apps, and some were effective for well-being. Conclusion: With the rapid development of technology related to mental health, many mobile apps are developed, but apps based on theoretical knowledge and well-designed research are lacking. Further research and practices should be conducted to develop, test, and disseminate evidence-based mHealth for mental health promotion. RCT studies are needed to expand the application to mental health services to various populations.

Download Full-text

Examining an App-Based Mental Health Self-Care Program, IntelliCare for College Students: Single-Arm Pilot Study

JMIR Mental Health ◽

10.2196/21075 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. e21075

Author(s):

Emily Lattie ◽

Katherine A Cohen ◽

Nathan Winquist ◽

David C Mohr

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Care Program ◽

User Feedback ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

High Rate ◽

Feedback Information ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Mental Health Programs

Background In recent years, there has been an increase in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses in college student populations alongside a steady rise in the demand for counseling services. Digital mental health programs, such as those delivered through mobile apps, can add to the array of available services but must be tested for usability and acceptability before implementation. Objective This study aims to examine how students used IntelliCare for College Students over an 8-week period to examine the preliminary associations between app use and psychosocial targets and to gather user feedback about usability issues that need to be remedied before a larger implementation study. Methods IntelliCare for College Students is an app-based platform that provides symptom assessments with personalized feedback, information about campus resources, lessons on mental health and wellness topics, and access to the suite of interactive skill–focused IntelliCare apps. A total of 20 students were recruited to participate in an 8-week study. To test for a broad range of potential users, we recruited a mixed sample of students with elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety and students without elevated symptoms. Participants completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Participants also completed user feedback interviews at weeks 4 and 8 in which they provided feedback on their experience using the app and suggestions for changes they would like to be made to the app. Results Of the 20 students who downloaded the app, 19 completed the study, indicating a high rate of retention. Over the study period, participants completed an average of 5.85 (SD 2.1; range 1-8) symptom assessments. Significant improvements were observed in the Anxiety Literacy Questionnaire scores (Z=−2.006; P=.045) and in the frequency with which participants used both cognitive (Z=−2.091; P=.04) and behavioral (Z=−2.249; P=.03) coping skills. In the feedback interviews, we identified a high degree of usability with minor bugs in the app software, which were quickly fixed. Furthermore, in feedback interviews, we identified that users found the app to be convenient and appreciated the ability to use the program in short bursts of time. Conclusions The findings indicate that the IntelliCare for College Students program was perceived as largely usable and engaging. Although the program demonstrated usability and preliminary benefits to students, further testing is needed to determine its clinical utility among college students. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04035577; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04035577

Download Full-text

Examining an App-Based Mental Health Self-Care Program, IntelliCare for College Students: Single-Arm Pilot Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.21075 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Lattie ◽

Katherine A Cohen ◽

Nathan Winquist ◽

David C Mohr

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Care Program ◽

User Feedback ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

High Rate ◽

Feedback Information ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

Mental Health Programs

BACKGROUND In recent years, there has been an increase in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses in college student populations alongside a steady rise in the demand for counseling services. Digital mental health programs, such as those delivered through mobile apps, can add to the array of available services but must be tested for usability and acceptability before implementation. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine how students used IntelliCare for College Students over an 8-week period to examine the preliminary associations between app use and psychosocial targets and to gather user feedback about usability issues that need to be remedied before a larger implementation study. METHODS IntelliCare for College Students is an app-based platform that provides symptom assessments with personalized feedback, information about campus resources, lessons on mental health and wellness topics, and access to the suite of interactive skill–focused IntelliCare apps. A total of 20 students were recruited to participate in an 8-week study. To test for a broad range of potential users, we recruited a mixed sample of students with elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety and students without elevated symptoms. Participants completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Participants also completed user feedback interviews at weeks 4 and 8 in which they provided feedback on their experience using the app and suggestions for changes they would like to be made to the app. RESULTS Of the 20 students who downloaded the app, 19 completed the study, indicating a high rate of retention. Over the study period, participants completed an average of 5.85 (SD 2.1; range 1-8) symptom assessments. Significant improvements were observed in the Anxiety Literacy Questionnaire scores (Z=−2.006; P=.045) and in the frequency with which participants used both cognitive (Z=−2.091; P=.04) and behavioral (Z=−2.249; P=.03) coping skills. In the feedback interviews, we identified a high degree of usability with minor bugs in the app software, which were quickly fixed. Furthermore, in feedback interviews, we identified that users found the app to be convenient and appreciated the ability to use the program in short bursts of time. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that the IntelliCare for College Students program was perceived as largely usable and engaging. Although the program demonstrated usability and preliminary benefits to students, further testing is needed to determine its clinical utility among college students. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04035577; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04035577

Download Full-text

Mindfulness and Mental Health Among African American College Students

Complementary health practice review ◽

10.1177/1533210110363893 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 115-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Akihiko Masuda ◽

Page L. Anderson ◽

Shawn T. Sheehan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

African American ◽

African American College Students ◽

College Sample ◽

Acceptance And Action Questionnaire ◽

Health Related ◽

Mindful Attention Awareness Scale ◽

Interpersonal Situations ◽

Adequate Internal Consistency

The current study examined the relation of a commonly used measure of mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale [MAAS]) and psychological flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire [AAQ]) to mental health-related variables within an African American college sample. The study also examined these constructs as potential mediators of the link between self-concealment and mental health variables. The AAQ did not show adequate internal consistency, and thus was not used in subsequent analyses. Mindfulness was found to be a significant predictor of mental health-related variables and mediated the relation between self-concealment and emotional distress in stressful interpersonal situations (full mediation) and general psychological ill health (partial mediation). These results are suggestive that mindfulness may be useful to understand mental health within African Americans college students, although additional research is clearly needed.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Health Behaviors on Health-Related Quality of Life in College Students

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab038_051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 439-439

Author(s):

Kayla Parsons ◽

Leigh Neptune ◽

Ashley Reynolds ◽

Amelia Sullivan ◽

Carol Byrd-Bredbenner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Abstract Objectives The objective was to explore the influence of health behaviors on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among college undergraduate students. Methods A convenience sample of college students completed an online survey consisting of the Center for Disease Control's HRQOL modules, perceived stress scale, sleep questionnaire, and the National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable (FV) Screener. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using self-reported height and weight. Independent t-test were used to compare HRQOL between students who consumed above/below average fruit and vegetable intake. Two multiple regression analyses were used to determine health factors that predicted better HRQOL. Results Participants (N = 655) were 19.8 ± 1.5 years old, female (63%), and white (84%). The average FV intake was 2.2 servings per day. Students who consumed more than the average intake of FV, reported more days/month (d/m) feeling healthy and full of energy (11.9 ± 8.6 vs. 8.9 ± 7.9, P < 0.001), and reported less d/m of poor mental health (8.5 ± 8.1 vs. 11.1 ± 9.8, P < 0.001) compared to those who consumed less than the average. Two predictors explained 38.5% of variance in d/m when mental health was not good (r2 = 0.38, F (2,639) = 200.11, P < 0.001): perceived stress (β = 0.61, P < 0.001) and FV intake (β = −0.08, P < 0.05). Four predictors explained 30.0% of the variance in d/m feeling happy and full of energy (r2 = 0.29, F (4,549) = 58.6, P < 0.001): perceived stress (β = −0.46, P < 0.001), BMI (β = −0.11, P < 0.01), FV intake (β = 0.16, P < 0.001), and hours of sleep (β = 0.08, P < 0.05). Conclusions This data shows that students who consumed above average FV intake reported more days of feeling happy and full of energy and less days of poor mental health, and that modifiable behaviors (FV intake, stress, sleep) impact HRQOL of young adults. This research provides justification for college aimed wellness interventions to include both nutrition education and mental health resources to improve overall HRQOL. Funding Sources This project was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project number #ME0022104 through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station. NJ Agriculture Experiment Station.

Download Full-text

Understanding University Students’ Experiences, Perceptions, and Attitudes Toward Peers Displaying Mental Health-related Problems on Social Network Sites (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.23465 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Taewan Kim ◽

Hwajung Hong

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

College Students ◽

At Risk ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Design Guideline ◽

Perceptions And Attitudes ◽

Health Related

BACKGROUND College students are at a vulnerable age; among those with serious mental health problems, this period is frequently when the first episodes appear. As a result, college students are increasingly disclosing their vulnerable, stigmatized experiences on social networking sites (SNSs). Understanding students’ perceptions and attitudes toward their peers who are dealing with mental health problems is vital to the efforts to eliminate peer exclusion and foster social support. OBJECTIVE This work aims to provide a better understanding of how college perceive and react to their fellow students’ mental health related activities on SNSs. We investigate how students recognize, perceive, and react to peers who display mental health related challenges on SNSs. METHODS Survey with 226 students, and semi structured interviews with 20 students were conducted at six universities in South Korea. RESULTS We revealed that a considerable number of college students did not proactively provide support even when they identified at-risk peers because of stigmatized content, unusual online activities, or a gap between online and offline identities. We found that the students’ lack of knowledge, confidence, and expectations as well as their desire to maintain distance from at-risk peers hindered social support. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of this study’s finding, we discuss SNS design guideline that would help these platforms facilitate support exchanges among peers while minimizing potential risks.

Download Full-text

Effectiveness of Shining Mind- A Smartphone App to Increase Mental Health Literacy Among College Students

VNU Journal of Science Education Research ◽

10.25073/2588-1159/vnuer.4480 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Vu Hong Van ◽

Kieu Thi Anh Dao ◽

Dang Hoang Minh

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Literacy ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Literacy Intervention ◽

Control Group ◽

Global Public Health

Background: Mental illness is a global public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam. Improving mental health literacy was found to be associated with early detection and treatment of mental illness and increased help-seeking behaviors. With the development of information technology, IT applications such as websites and mobile applications have become essential tools for mental health literacy intervention. Though there has been a number of mobile apps delivering psychotherpies, little focus on mental health litracy intervention. Aims: The study aims to a) evaluate the feasibility of a mobile-based mental health literacy intervention called Shining Mind and b) assess the effectiveness of the Shining Mind app in improving mental health literacy among college students. Methods: The study used randomized control trial design with two groups: experimental group (N=68) and control group (N=84). Results: The average number of times of accessing Shining Mind was 22.97 per student (SD=25.13) with one student (1.47%) never logging into the app. In terms of quality, the app was rated moderately good by participants (M=3.3, SD=0.6). Regarding mental health literacy, the results showed that there were group effects over time regarding depression and biopolar recognition, social anxiety labelling, stigma and parent help-seeking intention.

Download Full-text

Comparing Japanese International College Students' and U.S. College Students' Mental-Health-Related Stigmatizing Attitudes

Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development ◽

10.1002/j.2161-1912.2009.tb00101.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 178-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Akihiko Masuda ◽

Steven C. Hayes ◽

Michael P. Twohig ◽

Jason Lillis ◽

Lindsay B. Fletcher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Health Related ◽

International College ◽

Stigmatizing Attitudes

Download Full-text

Graduation Prospects of College Students with Specific Learning Disorder and Students with Mental Health Related Disabilities

International Journal of Higher Education ◽

10.5430/ijhe.v7n1p19 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 19

Author(s):

Mary Jorgensen ◽

Jillian Budd ◽

Catherine S. Fichten ◽

Mai N. Nguyen ◽

Alice Havel

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Academic Persistence ◽

Learning Disorder ◽

Specific Learning Disorder ◽

First Choice ◽

Students With Ld ◽

Health Related ◽

Socially Isolated ◽

Specific Learning

This study’s goal was to compare aspects related to academic persistence of two groups of college students with non-visible disabilities: 110 Canadian two and four-year college students - 55 with mental health related disabilities and 55 with Specific Learning Disorder (LD). Results show that students with mental health related disabilities were less likely to intend to graduate than students with LD. Students with mental health disabilities were also older, more likely to be female, to have worse personal circumstances and to feel more socially isolated on campus. They were also less likely to be enrolled in their first choice program or to be registered for campus disability related services than students with LD. Different variables predicted intention to graduate for the two groups. This is a key finding in helping students in these two groups successfully graduate, as they may have different academic, social, personal and accommodation needs. Recommendations are made about how to intervene to improve the academic persistence of students with mental health related disabilities. These include minimizing the fear of stigmatization and adopting a model where accommodations are based on students’ unique needs rather than their diagnoses.

Download Full-text

What College Students Post About Depression on Facebook and the Support They Perceive: Content Analysis

JMIR Formative Research ◽

10.2196/13650 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (7) ◽

pp. e13650

Author(s):

Scottye Cash ◽

Laura Marie Schwab-Reese ◽

Erin Zipfel ◽

Megan Wilt ◽

Megan Moreno

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

Social Media ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Related ◽

The Individual ◽

Qualitative Responses ◽

Racial Ethnic ◽

Do So

Background College students frequently use social media sites to connect with friends. Increasingly, research suggests college students and other young adults seek mental health-related support on social media, which may present a unique venue for intervention. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine college students’ perceptions about displaying feelings of depression on Facebook and, in turn, how their social media friends responded. Methods A primarily quantitative online survey with open response questions was distributed to students at four US universities. Qualitative responses were analyzed using content analysis. Results A total of 34 students provided qualitative responses for analysis, these students were 85.3% female, mean age 20.2 (SD=1.4) and 20.6% racial/ethnic minority. Students who reported posting about depression often expressed an emotion or feeling but did not use the word “depression” in the post. Approximately 20% posted language about a bad day, and 15% posted a song or music video. Only one person reported posting a statement that directly asked for help. When friends responded to the posts, students generally perceived the responses as supportive or motivating gestures. Nearly 15% of friends contacted the individual outside of Facebook. One individual received a negative response and no responses suggested that the individual seek help. Conclusions This study found that college students who post about depression often do so without directly referencing depression and that friends were generally supportive. However, no participants reported their social network suggested they seek help, which may suggest increasing mental health literacy, for both support seekers and responders, would be an opportunity to improve online mental health-related support.

Download Full-text