JISC

At the University of Sheffield we have adopted a strategic approach to student mental health services, originating in our institutional student mental health strategy (2006), and subsequently augmented by a holistic overview report on student mental health (2008), setting out details of the large numbers of our students affected by such difficulties, the range of severity involved and the close relationship between mental health and progression, retention and completion.

More recently our report on “Supporting Students with Complex Mental Health Difficulties” (2010) has provided further such data and added to our knowledge about the connection between mental health and the student experience of university life - including the connection with academic performance. We have made important advances in developing mental health services to and the next area in which we need to take steps forward is our ICT provision – the extent to which we use digital communication technologies in the student mental health system to develop our relationship with students and the staff who support them.

We know that the means by which young people communicate has evolved and changed markedly over recent years to include a preference for media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Chat and mobile phone texting. Yet the use of such media has not always been so readily incorporated into student mental health promotion and the promotion of student mental health services within the University of Sheffield.

The purpose of this project is to identify ways of using communication technologies that are attractive and appealing to this new generation of digitally conversant student, with the ultimate goal of producing a web interface from which students, and the staff that support them, can access a number of resources and digital communication channels relating to student mental health.

Objectives

The ultimate goal (see diagram below) is for a unified ICT “face‟ for Student Mental Health, via a web interface, which would provide access to a number of resources and digital communication channels for students and staff.

More specifically, we intend to create:

• A single website for student mental health. Currently each of the services providing mental health services has its own site. We will not replace these sites; rather the new site will be take the form of an umbrella, representing a single and clearer starting point for students and staff.
• We will create a new online self-referral process, through which students can make themselves known to mental health services. By means of this innovation, we particularly hope to open up a new channel of communication with harder to reach students.
• We will create a new online library of self-help and mental health promotion materials, available through modern digital media. This will be available to both students and to staff supporting students.
• Through the project, to learn more about the use of digital communication technologies, such that we can devise a ‘digital communications strategy’. This will inform both our work in student mental health and our work more broadly in Student Services.
• Also, to learn more about student engagement. We intend to invite students to work very closely with us in the project, as co-designers and evaluators and this will also inform the way in which we create new policies and services in the future.

Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes

Outputs

• The new range of web-based products and services, hosted within the University of Sheffield website
• Mapping of the mental health services covered in this work and the new on-line processes 
• Recommendations on the use of digital communication technologies in the student mental health field 
• Regularly updated harvestable blog
• Case study document
• 5 minute video description of project
• Interim and final reports  

Broader outcomes

• Enhanced capability and understanding of good practice in CRM technologies in the specific context of student mental health.
• Increased understanding of the effective use of ICT systems to support “at risk‟ students.
• An improved experience (in terms of access to and range of support) for students whether on campus or remote
• Provision of innovative on-line access to mental health support, more in tune with the expectations of digital native students.
• A new approach to web-enabled self-service access to support personalised interaction and self-referral.
• Improvements in student retention.
• Built-in usage tracking and feedback will enable effective evaluation.
• Benefits to the JISC community – the above experience to be disseminated through relevant professional networks, at conference presentations and workshops, etc.