The Impact of Early Mental Health Education Based on Interventions Among College Students

Background: First-year college students have the potential to experience high stress, depression, and anxiety during their transition period from high school. The study examines whether exposure to an online mental health education program is associated with counseling service utilization. Methods: A retrospective cohort design compared counseling center service utilization among first-year students at two southeast public universities. One university requires students to complete an online mental health education program, compared with another public university without this requirement. T-tests were conducted to examine the difference in mean counseling service utilization between the students at the intervention and comparison campuses. Chi-square analyses were carried out to examine counseling service utilization concerning age, race, and gender.

Results: The study sample included 1781 (total student records). Descriptive analysis revealed that students at the intervention campus (with the online Mental Health module) utilized counseling services at a higher level (≥3 visits), compared to the comparison campus (without the module). The mean number of sessions was higher at the intervention campus (mean = 3.99) than at the comparison campus (mean = 1.12), with a statistically significant difference (t (1380.18) = 20.71). Chi-square independence tests showed no significant associations between counseling utilization and race, age, and gender.

Conclusion: The study's findings reveal that online mental health modules may be associated with increased counseling utilization. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on preventative mental health strategies in higher education and addresses gaps in knowledge about the early interventions and associated utilization of first-year students based on race, age, and gender.