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Use of Online Tools for Mental Health Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse College Students: Mixed Methods Study
Sarah Z Hamza1, Yesenia Aguilar Silvan1, Lauren C Ng1
1University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
JMIR Human Factors
|June 13, 2025
Summary
College students increasingly use online tools for mental health support. Mental health literacy is linked to seeking information online, with many finding these resources helpful.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- Rising rates of anxiety and depression among college students.
- Increased reliance on online mental health resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Limited understanding of factors influencing college students' use of online mental health tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine associations between demographics, symptom severity, mental health literacy, stigma, attitudes, and self-efficacy with online tool use for psychological information and services.
- Qualitatively characterize online tool types, usage reasons, and perceived helpfulness among diverse college students.
Main Methods:
- Mixed methods study involving 123 undergraduate students.
- Validated measures and open-ended descriptions of online tool use.
- Logistic regression and descriptive statistics to analyze data.
Main Results:
- 49.6% of participants used online tools for mental health information; 30.1% for services.
- Higher mental health literacy correlated with increased use of online tools for information (P=.002).
- 82% found online information tools helpful; 49% found service tools very helpful. Barriers included lack of knowledge and professional recommendations.
Conclusions:
- Online tools are widely utilized by college students for accessing mental health information and professional services.
- Findings underscore the significant role of online platforms in contemporary mental healthcare delivery for students.
- Further research could explore tailored interventions to enhance online mental health resource utilization.
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