Digital interventions to address mental health needs in colleges: Perspectives of student stakeholders.

Objective: The need for clinical services in U.S. colleges exceeds the supply. Digital Mental health Interventions (DMHIs) are a potential solution, but successful implementation depends on stakeholder acceptance. This study investigated the relevance of DMHIs from students' perspectives. Methods: In 2020-2021, an online cross-sectional survey using mixed methods was conducted with 479 students at 23 colleges and universities. Respondents reported views and use of standard mental health services and DMHIs and rated the priority of various DMHIs to be offered through campus services. Qualitative data included open-ended responses. Findings: Among respondents, 91% reported having experienced mental health problems, of which 91% reported barriers to receiving mental health services. Students highlighted therapy and counseling as desired and saw flexible access to services as important. With respect to DMHIs, respondents had the most experience with physical health apps (46%), mental health questionnaires (41%), and mental well-being apps (39%). Most were unaware of or had not used apps or self-help programs for mental health problems. Students were most likely to report the following DMHIs as high priorities: a crisis text line (76%), telehealth (66%), websites for connecting to services (62%), and text/messaging with counselors (62%). They considered a self-help program with coach support to be convenient but some also perceived such services to be possibly less effective than in-person therapy. Conclusions: Students welcome DMHIs on campus and indicate preference for mental health services that include human support. The findings, with particular focus on characteristics of the DMHIs prioritized, and students' awareness and perceptions of scalable DMHIs emphasized by policymakers, should inform schools looking to implement DMHIs.

The validation of a Farsi version of the Clinical Impairment Assessment (F-CIA) among Iranian adolescent boys and girls.

PURPOSE: Although some studies have been conducted to examine general psychosocial impairment in Iran, there is no research to date on clinical impairment secondary to disordered eating in Iranian adolescents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Farsi version of the Clinical Impairment Assessment (F-CIA) among Iranian adolescents. METHODS: A total of 1112 adolescents (ageM [SD] = 15.55 [1.59], body mass index [zBMI] M [SD] = - 0.00 [1.0]; 54.6% girls) were recruited from four cities (Tehran [Capital], Tabriz [North-Western], Kurdistan [West], and Rasht [North]) in Iran. After translation and back-translation procedures, the F-CIA, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), and Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II) were administered to adolescents. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), measurement invariance, independent samples t tests, Pearson correlation, chi-square tests, and internal consistency to test validity and reliability. RESULTS: CFA indicated that F-CIA demonstrated good fit to the data and supported a three-factor model. The scale was invariant across gender and zBMI. The F-CIA had good internal consistency (αs = 0.76-0.93) and positive associations (rs = 0.13-0.62; p < 0.001) with zBMI, disordered eating symptoms, and binge/purge symptoms. We found no gender differences across mean scores on the F-CIA, but adolescents with higher zBMI reported higher scores on the F-CIA relative to those with lower zBMIs. Finally, adolescents scoring above CIA cutoffs reported higher zBMI, disordered eating outcomes, and depression. CONCLUSION: Findings suggested that the F-CIA is a reliable and valid measure of clinical eating disorder-related impairment in Iranian adolescents. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III; Evidence obtained from well-designed observational study, including case-control design for relevant aspects of the study.

Screening for Eating Disorders on College Campuses: a Review of the Recent Literature.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This paper provides a review of the recent literature on screening for eating disorders (EDs) on college campuses, and reports on methodology, prevalence rates, treatment receipt, and ED screening tools. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent research highlights relatively high prevalence rates of EDs among students on college campuses, with the majority of studies demonstrating elevated prevalence compared to the general population. Among students who screened positive for an ED, approximately 20% or less reported having received treatment for their ED. Findings also revealed various recruitment strategies, methods, ED screening tools, and clinical cutoffs used to study this topic, making it challenging to draw firm conclusions about prevalence of EDs on college campuses. Recent research on ED screening on college campuses reveals that EDs are a significant problem among college students, and there is a marked treatment gap between those who need care and those who receive it. Implications and future research are discussed.

Training models for implementing evidence-based psychological treatment for college mental health: A cluster randomized trial study protocol.

Mental disorders often emerge in adolescence and young adulthood, and these disorders can have lasting effects on students' health, social functioning, and education. Although evidence-based treatments have been established for many mental disorders, few community therapists use such treatments. What is needed is a practical, economically feasible means of training clinicians to implement evidence-based treatments suitable for widespread use. This cluster randomized trial will randomize 26 college counseling centers to one of two implementation strategies for training counselors to use interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), an evidence-based treatment for depression and eating disorders: 1) an external expert consultation model comprising a workshop, therapy manual, and expert follow-up consultation (n = 13); or 2) a train-the-trainer model in which a staff member from the counseling center is coached to train other staff members to implement IPT (n = 13). The primary outcome is therapist adherence to IPT, with secondary outcomes of therapist competence in IPT and client outcomes for depression and eating disorders. Therapist and organizational characteristics will be explored as potential moderators and mediators of implementation outcomes. Implementation costs for each of the training methods will also be assessed. The present study involves partnering with college counseling centers to determine the most effective method to implement IPT for depression and eating disorders in these settings. The results of this study will inform future large-scale dissemination of clinical interventions to mental health service providers by providing evidence for the selection of training methods when an agency chooses to adopt new interventions.

The economic case for digital interventions for eating disorders among United States college students.

OBJECTIVE: Eating disorders (EDs) are serious health problems affecting college students. This article aimed to estimate the costs, in United States (US) dollars, of a stepped care model for online prevention and treatment among US college students to inform meaningful decisions regarding resource allocation and adoption of efficient care delivery models for EDs on college campuses. METHODS: Using a payer perspective, we estimated the costs of (1) delivering an online guided self-help (GSH) intervention to individuals with EDs, including the costs of "stepping up" the proportion expected to "fail"; (2) delivering an online preventive intervention compared to a "wait and treat" approach to individuals at ED risk; and (3) applying the stepped care model across a population of 1,000 students, compared to standard care. RESULTS: Combining results for online GSH and preventive interventions, we estimated a stepped care model would cost less and result in fewer individuals needing in-person psychotherapy (after receiving less-intensive intervention) compared to standard care, assuming everyone in need received intervention. CONCLUSIONS: A stepped care model was estimated to achieve modest cost savings compared to standard care, but these estimates need to be tested with sensitivity analyses. Model assumptions highlight the complexities of cost calculations to inform resource allocation, and considerations for a disseminable delivery model are presented. Efforts are needed to systematically measure the costs and benefits of a stepped care model for EDs on college campuses, improve the precision and efficacy of ED interventions, and apply these calculations to non-US care systems with different cost structures.

Addressing critical gaps in the treatment of eating disorders.

Remarkable progress has been made in developing psychosocial interventions for eating disorders and other mental disorders. Two priorities in providing treatment consist of addressing the research-practice gap and the treatment gap. The research-practice gap pertains to the dissemination of evidence-based treatments from controlled settings to routine clinical care. Closing the gap between what is known about effective treatment and what is actually provided to patients who receive care is crucial in improving mental health care, particularly for conditions such as eating disorders. The treatment gap pertains to extending treatments in ways that will reach the large number of people in need of clinical care who currently receive nothing. Currently, in the United States (and worldwide), the vast majority of individuals in need of mental health services for eating disorders and other mental health problems do not receive treatment. This article discusses the approaches required to better ensure: (1) that more people who are receiving treatment obtain high-quality, evidence-based care, using such strategies as train-the-trainer, web-centered training, best-buy interventions, electronic support tools, higher-level support and policy; and (2) that a higher proportion of those who are currently underserved receive treatment, using such strategies as task shifting and disruptive innovations, including treatment delivery via telemedicine, the Internet, and mobile apps.

Understanding and promoting treatment-seeking for eating disorders and body image concerns on college campuses through online screening, prevention and intervention.

While there have been important recent advances in the development of effective universal prevention and intervention programs, it is not yet clear how to engage large numbers of students in these programs. In this paper, we report findings from a two-phase pilot study. In the first phase, we used a population-level, online survey to assess eating disorder symptom level and habits/attitudes related to service utilization (N=2180). Using validated screening tools, we found that roughly one in three students has significant symptoms of eating disorders or elevated weight concerns, the vast majority of whom (86.5%) have not received treatment. In the second phase, we referred students to online prevention and selective/indicated intervention programs based on symptom classification (N=1916). We find that program enrollment is highest for students in the indicated intervention (18.1%) and lowest for students in the universal prevention (4.1%). We find that traditionally-emphasized barriers such as stigma, misinformation, and financial limitations do not appear to be the most important factors preventing treatment-seeking. Rather students report not seeking help for reasons such as lack of time, lack of perceived need, and a desire to deal with the issue "on my own." Findings offer insight into the treatment-seeking habits and attitudes of college students, including those barriers that may be overcome by offering online programs and those that persist despite increased access to and convenience of relevant resources.