E-mental health for psychological distress in University students: A narrative synthesis on current evidence and practice

Given the high rates of mental health problems experienced by students, and the low rates of help seeking, it is highly desirable for Universities to provide effective interventions that reduce distress and improve wellbeing. There is also a need to move towards an early intervention/prevention model to help students reduce stress and prevent the onset of mental illness. University programs also need to offer flexibility for students to access help, so that more students are likely to seek help. E-mental health has the potential to play an important part in the future of mental health care, making mental health support more accessible and reducing barriers to help seeking. A number of program delivery options will not only benefit the individual student, but will reduce health service costs and benefit the wider university population by creating a culture of health and wellbeing and reducing the stigma of mental illness. The aims of this narrative review are to outline the current knowledge and application of e-mental health programs in the university population, and to discuss ways that prevention and intervention programs delivered via the Internet and smartphones can be taken to scale to reach a larger number of students to improve their mental health.