COLLEGE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH: CURRENT ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND A RANDOMIZED PILOT TRIAL OF A TECHNOLOGY-BASED INTERVENTION

Client demands for mental health services in institutions of higher education have grown dramatically. College students are at higher risk of developing mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, and alcohol and drug abuse. A student’s psychological well-being plays an important role in their academic performance. Currently, campus mental health services face numerous challenges to increase capacity and provide adequate support for students. In a time of great technological advancement, recent research has found positive results in technology-based programs for psychological assessment and treatment. This dissertation reviews current issues, needs, and challenges of mental health service in higher education. It implemented a randomized pilot trial utilizing an approach called ecological momentary assessment to unveil hidden stress, depression, and anxiety among college students via a smart phone application. In addition, it examines a text message intervention that promotes physical activities to alleviate psychological stress, anxiety, and depression among participants in response to their busy academic workload. Participants were randomized into a basic or augmented group and received check in prompts via their smartphone applications at various time-points throughout the study period. In addition to the check-in prompts, the augmented group also received exercise promotion text messages every other day throughout the semester. Results found that participants had significant improvements overall in depressive (p .05). Overall, psychological assessment delivered via smartphone and a text message intervention for exercise promotion are feasible and acceptable among college-aged participants. Future research could expand on content development and potentially lead to a full-service mental health application that promotes positive mental health and well-being within the entire student body