User feedback on experience of using a distress prevention service for students at an Indian university

Students of Health professions education suffer higher rate of mental illness compared to age-matched peers. Stigma, worries about confidentiality, poor accessibility are barriers to help-seeking among students. To overcome these, we started a Distress and Suicide Prevention Help (DASH) for the students of the University in May 2019. This study aimed to collect feedback on utilization of DASH service. An anonymous cross-sectional survey using a Google form was carried out among service users. The treating consultant retrieved service users' contacts from hospital records. The investigator-designed questionnaire consisted of fifteen Likert scale questions and three open-ended questions related to the DASH service. Sixty-two service users were approached, of whom 31 users responded [8 males, 23 females, response rate 50%]. Anxiety, sadness, and difficulty in concentration were the most common presenting complaints. Adjustment disorder, MDD, and anxiety disorder were the most common diagnoses. Overall experience was rated as good to extremely good by 93.5% (n = 29) of the respondents. Eighty-seven percent (n = 27) of respondents found the consultations helped reduce distress. The most frequent response on the qualitative question "Explain how the DASH service helped mitigate your distress?" was "it helped reduce their distress" [16/30 responses, 53.3%]. Other responses to this question were a lack of worry about confidentiality, easy approachability, a non-judgmental stance, and good rapport with consultants. DASH service users' experience was positive and helpful in mitigating distress. Assuring maintenance of confidentiality, ensuring timely availability, a safe-environment, and diversity in communication channels amongst service users can encourage help-seeking behavior amongst students.