JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The rising prevalence of mental health concerns among students is prompting universities to explore innovative solutions to support student wellbeing. This paper describes the protocol for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a mobile application (app) designed to address the mental health and wellness needs of students. The project employed a student-centered approach, partnering with students from the initial needs-analysis through to the final design and implementation stages.

Objective:

The app aims to increase use of campus resources that address student mental health and wellness by improving awareness of these resources through user-designated preferences that are established on initial use of the app and then iteratively refined as it is used. The app is linked to the campus student electronic health record (EHR) so that health and wellness services can be coordinated and enhanced and the student journey to and through care more seamless. The long-term objective is to leverage data from both the app and EHR to improve individual and population health for the entire campus.

Methods:

At the beginning of the project a comprehensive logic model was created to outline the core inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and long-term impacts that were desired for the app. The model emphasized the integration of the app within existing campus mental health and wellness services and its potential to foster a culture of wellbeing across the university community. An evaluation plan was developed that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the app's feasibility, acceptability and usability as well as its reach, effectiveness, and sustainability. Validated measures, such as the PHQ and GAD, were selected to track changes in mental health and wellness, while custom surveys and analytics will gauge user engagement and satisfaction.

Results:

The findings from this project have the potential to inform similar efforts at other institutions and contribute to the broader field of digital mental health innovation and the development of well-being interventions for tailored for young people.

Conclusions:

By leveraging digital technology and actively engaging students in supporting their well-being, this initiative represents an innovative user-centered approach to improve mental health and wellness support on university campuses.