Racial/Ethnic Trends in Virtual Mental Health Care Utilization Among Undergraduate Students: A Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Higher Education
• Health Equity

Background:

• Undergraduate students face significant mental health challenges, with unmet needs exceeding available resources.
• Disparities in mental health support are pronounced among Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and Black students.
• Virtual-only behavioral health partnerships offer a potential solution to bridge the care gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare engagement in virtual mental health visits across racial/ethnic groups among undergraduates.
• To assess the utilization of virtual care services in relation to the total enrolled student population at 113 institutions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized de-identified virtual visit data and self-reported race/ethnicity for the patient population.
• Compared patient demographics with overall undergraduate student demographics from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed between the race/ethnicity of students accessing virtual care (N=14,870) and the overall student body (N=619,459).
• Proportionally higher rates of virtual care utilization were found among Asian, Black, and Multiracial students.
• Conversely, White and Hispanic/Latinx students utilized virtual mental health services at proportionally lower rates.

Conclusions:

• A fully virtual mental health model may increase care access for certain racial/ethnic minority undergraduates, including Asian, Black, and Multiracial students.
• This contrasts with traditional care models, where White and Hispanic/Latinx students may access services less frequently.
• Virtual care presents a potentially more equitable approach to undergraduate mental health support.