Digital/online mental health services for university students

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, University of Birmingham should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear University of Birmingham,

As a request under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to make a request regarding digital/online mental health services provided to students at your institution:

1. Does your HEI provide any digital and/or online services specifically for supporting students’ mental health?

Answers to this question might include (but are not limited to) digital or online support services (such as Big White Wall/’BWW’); internet-delivered programs (which may be based on cognitive-behavioural therapy or other approaches) with or without therapist support (such as SilverCloud, MoodGym); smart phone apps (such as SAM App, Headspace); online or email-based therapy/counselling; or informational websites.

2. If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, please state the names of them.

3. If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, please provide more information about how they are provided.

If you do not provide this service directly, then please state who does. For example, it may be provided via an external organisation, a local NHS trust / IAPT, charity, or the HEI themselves.

4. If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, please provide information about which department/service they are hosted in within the HEI.

For example, this may be within the university counselling service, within student welfare services, or within the university’s health promotion service.

5. If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, please state how students at the HEI access these.

For example, students may self-refer or be referred by staff or a healthcare professional.

6. If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, could you state whether you have access to any routine data relating to their use by your students.

For example, this might be psychological measures for stress, anxiety, or depression; or usage of the digital services (logins, time spent using service, completion rates, satisfaction of online service).

7. If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, could you state the total number of students who used the named service in the most recent academic year for which you have data available (for example, 2018/19; 2017/18) and state which year this was.

8. If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, please state how students using these services can be signposted or referred to traditional face-to-face counselling or mental health services.

Answers to this question might include (but are not limited to) information within the digital/online services about how to self-refer to face to face support services/ mental health services; referral prompts within the digital services for students describing problems associated with a high level of risk or urgency.

I kindly request that the information is sent digitally in a spreadsheet format: Excel format (.xlsx) would be ideal if possible.

If you need any clarification then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Bethan Davies

FOI, University of Birmingham

Dear Ms Davies

 
Thank you for your request for information below which the University of
Birmingham is processing under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act
2000.

 

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know.  If a fee is payable a fees notice will be issued to
you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with
your request.

 

If you have any queries about this email, please contact us.  Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

Regards

 
 
Freedom of Information Team
University of Birmingham
 

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From: [FOI #636754 email]
<[FOI #636754 email]>
Sent: 20 January 2020 13:52
To: FOI requests at University of Birmingham
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Digital/online mental health
services for university students
 
Dear University of Birmingham,

As a request under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to make a
request regarding digital/online mental health services provided to
students at your institution:

1.      Does your HEI provide any digital and/or online services
specifically for supporting students’ mental health?

Answers to this question might include (but are not limited to) digital or
online support services (such as Big White Wall/’BWW’); internet-delivered
programs (which may be based on cognitive-behavioural therapy or other
approaches) with or without therapist support (such as SilverCloud,
MoodGym); smart phone apps (such as SAM App, Headspace); online or
email-based therapy/counselling; or informational websites.

2.      If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services,
please state the names of them.

3.      If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services,
please provide more information about how they are provided.

If you do not provide this service directly, then please state who does.
For example, it may be provided via an external organisation, a local NHS
trust / IAPT, charity, or the HEI themselves.

4.      If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services,
please provide information about which department/service they are hosted
in within the HEI.

For example, this may be within the university counselling service, within
student welfare services, or within the university’s health promotion
service.

5.      If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services,
please state how students at the HEI access these.

For example, students may self-refer or be referred by staff or a
healthcare professional.

6.      If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, could
you state whether you have access to any routine data relating to their
use by your students.

For example, this might be psychological measures for stress, anxiety, or
depression; or usage of the digital services (logins, time spent using
service, completion rates, satisfaction of online service).

7.      If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services, could
you state the total number of students who used the named service in the
most recent academic year for which you have data available (for example,
2018/19; 2017/18) and state which year this was.

8.      If your HEI does provide any digital and/or online services,
please state how students using these services can be signposted or
referred to traditional face-to-face counselling or mental health
services.

Answers to this question might include (but are not limited to)
information within the digital/online services about how to self-refer to
face to face support services/ mental health services; referral prompts
within the digital services for students describing problems associated
with a high level of risk or urgency.

I kindly request that the information is sent digitally in a spreadsheet
format: Excel format (.xlsx) would be ideal if possible.

If you need any clarification then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Bethan Davies

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Dear FOI at University of Birmingham,

Would you be able to provide an update on my request, as it is a month overdue the deadline?

Yours sincerely,

Bethan Davies

University of Birmingham

Due to the COVID 19 virus the University is on Restricted Opening and therefore is likely to be slower in responding to Freedom of Information requests and Subject Access requests. Please be assured that the University will respond to you as quickly as it is able to.

FOI, University of Birmingham

Due to the COVID 19 virus the University is on Restricted Opening and
therefore is likely to be slower in responding to Freedom of Information
requests and Subject Access requests.  Please be assured that the
University will respond to you as quickly as it is able to.

Regards

The Data Protection and Freedom of Information Team

FOI, University of Birmingham

Dear Ms Davies

 

Due to unexpected staffing issues and the large number of requests we are
processing, we are currently unable to provide responses to Freedom of
Information Act requests as promptly as usual.  We apologise that your
response will therefore be a little late, but we can assure you that we
will respond as soon as possible.

 

If you have any queries about this email, please contact us.  Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information Team

University of Birmingham

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [FOI #636754 email]
<[FOI #636754 email]>
Sent: 23 March 2020 09:33
To: FOI
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Digital/online mental health
services for university students - [2020.01.51]
 
Dear FOI at University of Birmingham,

Would you be able to provide an update on my request, as it is a month
overdue the deadline?

Yours sincerely,

Bethan Davies

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

Would you be able to provide an update on my request, as it has now been one year since I submitted it?

Yours sincerely,

Bethan Davies

FOI, University of Birmingham



Due to the COVID 19 virus the University is on Restricted Opening and
therefore is likely to be slower in responding to Freedom of Information
requests and Subject Access requests.  Please be assured that the
University will respond to you as quickly as it is able to.

 

Regards

The Data Protection and Freedom of Information Team

University of Birmingham

Due to the COVID 19 virus the University is on Restricted Opening and therefore is likely to be slower in responding to Freedom of Information requests and Subject Access requests. Please be assured that the University will respond to you as quickly as it is able to.

FOI, University of Birmingham

Dear Ms Davies

Thank you for your email below and please accept our sincere apologies for
the long delay.  We will look into the matter and will respond as soon as
possible.

 

If you have any queries about this email, please contact us.  Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

Regards

 

 

Freedom of Information Team

University of Birmingham

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [FOI #636754 email]
<[FOI #636754 email]>
Sent: 17 February 2021 12:27
To: FOI
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Digital/online mental health
services for university students - [2020.01.51]
 
Dear FOI,

Would you be able to provide an update on my request, as it has now been
one year since I submitted it?

Yours sincerely,

Bethan Davies

show quoted sections