Digital/online mental health services for university students

The request was successful.

Dear University of Kent,

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 higher education institution (HEI):

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 Kent

Dear Ms Davies,

 

Thank you for your information request. We will respond within 20 working
days.

 

Kind regards

Laura

 

Laura Anthony

Information Compliance Officer

 

University of Kent

[1][University of Kent request email]

[2]www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Foi, University of Kent

Dear Ms Davies,

 

Thank you for your information request, received on 21/1/2020. Please
accept our apologies for the delay in response. Please find our response
as follows:

 

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

 

Yes

 

 

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

 

Big White Wall

Online Counselling (eTherapy)

 

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

 

For online counselling, students first need to register with Student
Support and Wellbeing. Students can declare at time of registration their
interest in online counselling as opposed to face-to-face sessions.

 

Big White Wall can be accessed by any University of Kent student.

 

 

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.

 

Department of Student Support and Wellbeing

 

 

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

 

Students can self-refer or be referred by Student Support and Wellbeing.

 

For online counselling, students need to be registered with Student
Support and Wellbeing first.

 

 

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.

 

Yes

 

 

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.

 

2018/19 – 237 students registered with Big White Wall

2018/19 – 16 students accessed online counselling.

 

 

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.

 

All face-to-face support offered by Student Support and Wellbeing is
listed on our webpage.

 

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review within 40 days of the date of
this email by writing to: Information Compliance Team, Darwin College,
University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ or via email to: [1][University of Kent request email]

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF. Telephone: 0303 123 1113 Website: [2]www.ico.org.uk.

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Laura Anthony

Information Compliance Officer

 

University of Kent

[3][University of Kent request email]

[4]www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

 

References

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3. mailto:[University of Kent request email]
4. http://www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/