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%).