Release date: July 26, 2004
Contact: Deb Hammacher, Associate Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-727-0644 or dhammac@emory.edu

Mental Health Services a Click Away for Many College Students

Finding ways to prevent suicide, and treat the mental health issues that accompany it, is the focus of an innovative program at Emory University that gives students an anonymous online safety net.

For the past three years, every Emory undergraduate has received an e-mail asking, "Are You Depressed?" For many, the answer has been "yes," and the e-mail has provided an avenue into services they may not have otherwise received.

The online screening program at Emory, now in its fourth year, is part of a study funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. As the third leading cause of death for 18-to-24-year-olds, suicide is a serious issue for mental health providers on college campuses. Mental health issues among college students can include major depression, anxiety disorders or social phobias, eating disorders and substance abuse.

The study is part of a bigger research push to find out what helps to improve mental health and prevent suicides among college students. To date, the Emory pilot has expanded to the University of North Carolina, which began using it last year, and New York University, which will start the program this fall.

Clinical social worker Jill Rosenberg oversees the Emory program and is compiling data for the study. The project "does what it is supposed to do--it brings in students who might not otherwise get help," she says. The key, she says, is allowing students to make the first moves anonymously online as long as they want. "Confidentially is a huge priority for these students, many of whom are reaching out for help for the first time."

The annual e-mail directs students to a Web site where they can complete a mental health screening online. Based on responses, Rosenberg offers a variety of recommendations. Responding to an e-mail comes more naturally to today's students than picking up a phone, she says. Rosenberg often chats with students online several times before meeting them.

Overall, response to the program has been positive, says Rosenberg. Follow-up surveys have found that 98 percent of the students who access the service say they probably would not have received the help they needed without it.

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