Improve College Mental Health Resources through Mobile Therapy

Everyone can recall at least one person from their freshman dorm hall that locked themselves away each night to feverishly study, and was rarely seen at a social event of any kind.

Over the past few years, the number of college students that suffer from existing or developing psychological problems has become increasingly alarming.  According to data from a recent survey distributed to college mental health facilities, the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors found that anxiety (41.6%), depression (36.4%) and relationship problems (35.8%) are of high concern and negatively affect their student’s lives . These severe psychological problems cannot be taken lightly and if ignored can result in poor academic performance, negative behavior, or in extreme cases – tragedies such as suicide or acts of violence (i.e. school shootings.)

In the aftermath of a campus tragedy, heads automatically turn to issues of inadequate safety protocols or access to weaponry. We can spend countless hours trying to perfect campus security or advocating for reversed weapon laws, but there is another angle to approach when battling this unfortunate reality – improved campus psychological services and availability.

In the previously mentioned study, 19% of the surveyed directors reported that the availability of psychiatric services on their campus is inadequate. As budget cuts continue to roll in nationwide, hiring more staff is simply not a valid solution for many colleges. However, what if there was a tool that could assist clinicians in monitoring their patients that promoted efficiency and improved diagnoses so that they could increase patient volume?

Mobile Therapy is a web-based dashboard and mobile application that collects data from patient’s smartphones, using this data to bridge the information gap between what has occurred between office visits. This data is translated into easy to read reports that track progress, identify triggers, monitor medication compliance and more.

In today’s market, several tools have emerged to monitor patient behavior or provide virtual therapy, but they often lack strong scientific research. Mobile Therapy is designed by a renowned team of psychologists including Harvard’s DanGilbert, University of Texas, Austin’s JamesW. Pennebaker, to name a few. Their combined expertise and scientific research has allowed Mobile Therapy to capture valuable data that aids the clinician in treatment process and diagnoses.

As a Smartphone application, Mobile Therapy appeals to the younger, tech savvy generation. It is easy for students to check in throughout the day at the swipe of a finger answering quick, customizable slider questions about how they are feeling and what they are doing. Mobile Therapy also tracks passive data such as physical activity and emotional sentiment, using an advanced text analysis system. 

Mobile Therapy allows clinicians to collect more information about the students than they would typically obtain during an office visit. Patients of this age group – and college students in general – may be more reluctant than older patients to fully disclose any information in person that they feel to be private, or emotional. This may also be why many turn to outlets such as social media to express themselves buffered by their computer screens. Gaining access to more detailed, in-depth patient information can allow for more efficient office visits and overall treatment processes – ultimately creating more availability for the clinician.

“Up until now therapists have had to rely upon what their clients tell them when they’re in the office. Starting now with Mobile Therapy, therapists have access to what their clients were really thinking, feeling and doing when they weren’t being seen.” – Dan Gilbert, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University; Author of Stumbling Happiness

Thinking back to the person that came to mind at the beginning of this article, were they depressed? Stressed? Antisocial? Or just a dedicated student? It’s tough to say, but it is crucial for college campuses to have the appropriate resources available, in order to support the 40% of college students that are suffering from mild to serious (21%) mental health problems.

Sources:
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/06/college-students.aspx

http://www.liwc.net/