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Survey to Inform the Development of an Online Support System for Higher Education Students <br>—Higher Education and Online Support
Independent Scholar, London, UK
School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London, London, UK
Interim Head of School, Human and Social Sciences and Professor of Health and Wellbeing, University of West London, London, UK
Private Practice at Bank and Harley Street, London, UK
iConcipio Ltd., London, UK
- 1 Independent Scholar, London, UK
- 2 School of Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- 3 Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London, London, UK
- 4 Interim Head of School, Human and Social Sciences and Professor of Health and Wellbeing, University of West London, London, UK
- 5 Private Practice at Bank and Harley Street, London, UK
- 6 iConcipio Ltd., London, UK
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Abstract
An increasing number of higher education students face mental health difficulties, but the universities’ student support services (SSS) struggle to meet demand with limited resources. Web-based alternatives hold promise as a novel medium through which students could access support. Online interventions appear to be effective and may therefore provide a cost-effective alternative, relieving some of the burden on struggling SSS. This paper presents results from an explorative survey of 61 students questioned about their opinion of online support systems. The majority of students indicated that they would use such a system and that it should be interactive and personalized, focusing on time and money management, relaxation exercises, and building social skills. Future directions towards the development of such a system are discussed.
KeywordsOnline InterventionMental HealthStudy SkillsStudentsWell-BeingHigher Education
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