By The Online Learning Consortium and Uwill Student Mental Health & Wellness
Respondents:
- 338 total respondents representing all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and 36 countries
- 63% of respondents work for a public institution, 24% work for a private non-profit, 13% work for a private for-profit institution.
Key Findings:
Increase in Demand for Online Mental Health Services:
- The overwhelming majority (83%) of respondents noted an increase in demand for mental health services among online students over the past academic year.
- Only 2% said that it had decreased.
Faculty and Staff as Online Mental Health First Responders:
- More than 70% of respondents (72%) said that online students occasionally, frequently, or very frequently reach out regarding mental health concerns.
- Despite a significant number who report contact with students about mental health issues, a troubling percentage of faculty and staff do not feel adequately prepared to serve as mental health first responders. More than a third (37%) felt inadequately or very inadequately trained to recognize and respond to mental health issues with online students.
- Based on increased demand for support, an overwhelming majority (83%) expressed a high level of interest in receiving additional training on how to support the mental well-being of online students.
Students Not Satisfied with Mental Health and Wellness Support:
- More than one-third (35%) of respondents believe students are not satisfied with the mental
health services offered by their institution. - Awareness, Availability and Access as Barriers.
- Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents said that time constraints have a significant to very
significant effect on hindering access to mental health services for online students. - Other common barriers include:• Limited awareness of available services (59%), a lack of services tailored to online student needs (55%), financial constraint/insurance coverage (46%), lack of services in general (46%), and limited appointment availability (45%).
Disparity Between On-Site and Online Support Services.
- Respondents were more than twice as likely to report access to onsite counseling (67%) as an available resource than they were to report teletherapy from a third-party (39%).
